COLOGNE - The Plus X Awards is now said to be Europe's largest contest for technology, sport and lifestyle products. It honors innovative design as the basis of ongoing commercial success by selecting the products that have the best credentials in five categories.

At this year's awards ceremony in Cologne, Flir Systems learned that it had not only scooped up a phenomenal six Plus X Awards for two of its thermal imaging cameras but that it had also won 'The Most Innovative Brand of the Year' grand-prix.

The Flir P660 is, according to the makers, the world's highest resolution, off-the-shelf, hand-held infrared camera and the Flir i5 is another world-first that provides pocket-sized thermal imaging. Both cameras were judged in the five Plus X award categories – innovation, design, ease of use/functionality, ergonomics and ecology. Respectively, the FLIR P660 and the FLIR i5 won awards for innovation, ease of use and ecology. As FLIR had totalled more Plus X awards in its product group than any other entrant the company also received The Most Innovative Brand of the Year award.

Flir Systems is particularly proud of its achievement as it won six awards for just two products, whereas other competitors had entered more products and won fewer. At the awards presentation FLIR Systems stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the representatives of the fifteen 'Most Innovative Brands' for 2008 including leading-edge design companies such as Dyson, Miele, Canon, Panasonic, Bose and Adidas.

To celebrate, FLIR is offering that all orders for a FLIR infrared camera for industrial applications taken before 31st December 2008 qualify for a free industrial troubleshooting kit worth £138.93. The offer applies to the entire FLIR T-Series range and extends to the InfraCAM® SD and the fully featured FLIR i50 with visual camera and reporting functions. The free kit comprises a multimeter, a clamp meter, an IR thermometer and a non-contact voltage detector.