BEGINS TODAY: MICROSOFT IMAGINE CUP 2012 MALAYSIA FINALS SHOWCASE TOMORROW’S TECHNOLOGY LEADERS

The largest technology competition in the world kicks off its finals today in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Kota Kinabalu, 17 May 2012 – Competition begins today for thousands of students from 21 Higher Education Institutions across the nation who have been working hard to compete in the final leg of the tenth annual Imagine Cup 2012 Malaysia Finals. However only 112 finalists from 16 Colleges and Universities around Malaysia were able to make it through to the local finale of Imagine Cup 2012, a competition that gives students around the world a chance to unlock their creative genius and generate ideas to solve the world’s toughest problems using technology.

Based on the theme of this year’s competition – “Imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problem”, students will be empowered to use their creative and technical abilities to make a positive impact on society while creating technology solutions that combat diseases, improve education, ensure environmental sustainability, reduce child mortality, and tackle other social challenges. From a pool of 47 teams, 30 teams have been selected for the Malaysian finals based on their innovative technology solutions submitted. “Having been in Malaysia for almost 20 years now, we are committed to help Malaysia transform education by providing students with the opportunity and tools to unleash their creative and innovative potential and imagine a better world. This is where Imagine Cup comes in: it showcases the inventiveness, maturity and sophisticated thinking of Malaysian students to address the world’s challenges in new ways and deliver innovative technology solutions that can truly change and solve global issues,” said Ananth Lazarus, Managing Director, Microsoft Malaysia.

“Over the years, through Imagine Cup we have invested in human capital by equipping students with cutting edge technology that will nurture an innovative, knowledgeable and well-prepared workforce. We believe that young people have the greatest ability to make a positive impact on the world and we are committed to provide students with tomorrow’s tools for today’s success. We wish all the finalists the best of luck in what will be an intense day of competition,” added Mr. Lazarus.

Students and teams in the Imagine Cup finals will compete with each other for the following awards and challenges within the Software Design category:

1. Windows Phone Challenge
• Students will have the chance to be among the first developers ever to build XAP (an XML-based framework) Applications for Windows Phone. Students are challenged to create an XAP Application that not only will help solve the world’s toughest problems, but that people will also love having on their Windows Phone. Applications submitted will be judged based on originality, innovation, and how the solution leverages mobile technology by incorporating the Windows Phone platform.

2. Kinect Fun Labs Challenge
- The Imagine Cup 2012 Kinect Fun Labs Challenge asks students to think about entertainment with a social conscience and brings the Imagine Cup into the living room. It is a unique opportunity for students to develop applications that change the world for the Fun Labs area of Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE. This Challenge will test your Team’s ability to build a prototype which leverages natural user interface (NUI) features such as skeletal tracking, speech recognition, face recognition, and gestures.
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3. Social Cause Award
- -This award will be given to the team that best demonstrate this year’s theme “Imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems”, which is drawn from the eight United Nations Millennium Development Goals. The Imagine Cup has called on programmers, designers, and technologists to rise to this challenge and use these Development Goals as their inspiration.

4. Innovations Award
- This award will be presented to the submission that utilizes breakthrough technology to bring new approaches to conventional software ideas, and the new opportunities that it brings forth.

5. Presentation Stars
- Recognition for the team that demonstrates the most outstanding teamwork and presentation. They have to win over the hearts of their audience and judges with their software skills.

The Malaysian team winner will be announced tonight, at the Imagine Cup Malaysian Finals gala dinner.

“For me the Imagine Cup is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn new skills and explore the power of software, make new friends who share my passion for innovation use technology to create green solutions, and leverage the event as a starting point in my career,” said Alexander Wong, Final Year BSc (Hons) Computing Web Development student at Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology (APIIT).” Quite possibly, this may be my chance to change the world! To represent Malaysia at the worldwide finals, will be a great plus on my resume.”

The annual event, conceptualized by Microsoft with the strong backing and support from the Ministry of Higher Education and partners such as Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC), Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Prestariang Sdn. Bhd., as well as other partners and sponsors has become known as the Olympics of student technology competitions.

The Imagine Cup, now in its tenth year, challenges students to imagine a better world enabled by their own talent and also to contribute directly to the future of technology, software and computing. Teams develop innovative technological and digital projects that offer real-world solutions to real-world problems.

For more information on Imagine Cup, please visit www.imaginecup.com