Ribbit, which emerged as the winner of the Innovative Web Technologies category during the inaugural Microsoft BizSpark Accelerator at SXSW Interactive 2009, has only increased its development after gaining major recognition at the festival a year ago. As a company that provides cloud telephone service, Ribbit has remained at the forefront of innovation in the communications industry, while also upping its game with advancements like the ability to pull information about inbound callers from such social media sites as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Ribbit exemplifies the spirit of Accelerator at SXSW. For burgeoning brands and nascent products, the showcase is an unparalleled launching pad. Networking, name recognition, and unfiltered access to the greatest minds in the global market is just the beginning: The boost that Accelerator provides is the gift that keeps on giving. As Ribbit's Lisa Chand told us, "The experience was of course intense. It was a great validation of the direction of our marketing efforts.”

Although the submission period for the 2010 event has closed, March 15 and 16 at the Hilton Austin Downtown offers a unique opportunity at SXSW Interactive for professionals, press, and the intellectually curious. What will they think of next? Who will be the world's next Ribbit? Why not start making plans to attend Accelerator right now to find out? More questions? Concerns? E-mail Chris Valentine at chris@sxsw.com.

2010 Microsoft BizSpark Accelerator at SXSW art courtesy of Varick Rosete.