Microsoft and BT have
announced a joint telecoms and networking mash-up competition
for developers, with cash prizes on offer.
The Connected Services Sandbox competition will help promote the
development of customer solutions that merge traditional telecoms
offerings, such as voice or text messaging, with Web 2.0
applications such as mapping or search.
The competition will be managed by TopCoder, a leader in online
programming competitions, skills assessment and competitive
software development.
Entrants will be given the task of developing managed network
mash-ups that address the specific service requirements of multiple
usage scenarios.
The winners of each competition will receive prizes ranging from
£1,300 to £13,100.
The competition series follows the December 2006 launch of the
Microsoft Connected Services Sandbox.
The Sandbox was developed to unite independent software vendors
(ISVs), developers, system integrators, network equipment providers
and telecommunications service providers in an environment that
allows each participant to leverage the assets of the others.
Participants in the mash-up competition series will be able to
use the assets available within the Connected Services Sandbox.
The Connected Services Sandbox competition series will be open
to freelance developers and member organisations of the
Sandbox.
By registering directly through the Sandbox, developers can
review the competition rules, choose from the competitions
available, and begin designing applications appropriate for
individual competitions within the series.
The competitions are divided into multiple usage scenarios, as
defined by Microsoft and BT. Usage scenarios can include a
combination of communications services, such as e-mail, instant
messaging and document collaboration, with web services such as
Windows Live, Microsoft MapPoint, Amazon, eBay, Google and
Yahoo.
Bill Murphy, managing director at BT Business, said, “We
anticipate that the Sandbox competitions will provide us with
compelling business opportunities that we can ultimately deliver to
our customers.
“For example, we will be looking at services targeted at the
small-to-midsize business market, where a unified communications
solution can benefit a company with one to 10 employees.”
The first round of winners will be announced at the NXTcomm show
in Chicago in June.
Developers can find more information about the Sandbox
competitions at
http://www.networkmashups.com
Related article:
BT announces five new wireless cities
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