Welcome to the UK Imagine Cup!

In the Imagine Cup we challenge you to find and build technology solutions to real-world issues. We encourage the world's most talented software designers, programmers, game developers, and digital media enthusiasts to tackle, head on, issues related to: hunger relief, poverty, education, disease control, healthcare, the environment and other critical problems facing our world today.

The Competition Categories:

• Software Design
• Embedded Development
• Game Design
• Digital Media
• IT Challenge

Software Design

The Imagine Cup Software Design Competition challenges you to use Microsoft technology to tackle some of the world’s biggest issues. The theme for the competition is: "Imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems." Here in the UK we’re working with key charities to provide you with inspiration for your entries.

Below are links to problems defined by charities that you could solve with your entry, by picking one of these briefs you can be sure that you are addressing a real world issue that needs solving.

There are three rounds in the Software Design competition which will see you take your entry from an idea right through to a working solution.

Round 1

1. Register on Imaginecup.com

2. Sign up for the Software Design Competition

3. Form a team of up to 4 people

4. Download the Software Design template for Round One entry

5. Select one of the provided project briefs, or identify a problem of your own choosing, and tell us how you to plan to solve it using Microsoft technology. This must be submitted by 11.59 p.m. on 16th December 2009 using the below button:

We’re here to help so if you want some guidance on your Round 1 entry, get in touch at ukacinfo@microsoft.com.

Round 2

The top 6 teams submitting a round 1 entry will progress to round 2.

In round 2 teams implement a working technical solution which they will present to a panel of judges at the UK final event on the 16th April 2010.

Your entry must consist of all of the below required elements and at least one of the optional elements:

REQUIRED ELEMENTS your entry must contain all of the following required elements:

• Your entry must address a social cause connected to the Imagine Cup 2010 Theme: "Imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems".
• Any presentation or documentation that is a part of your entry must be in the English language. If a translator is needed, you are responsible to procure and to make usage of one.
• Either an implementation or the consumption of a XML Web Service;
• Your application must run on any version of the Microsoft .NET Framework;
• Your application must be developed using at least one (1) of the products within the Visual Studio family (Express, Standard, Professional, or Team System) for development.

OPTIONAL ELEMENTS your entry must contain or use features of at least one (1) of the optional elements:

• Windows 7
• Windows Live SDK
• Use of Windows Mobile technologies and SMS Server Toolkit
• Silverlight
• Azure for implementing a S + S architecture application

JUDGING CRITERIA:

• 10% - Problem Definition: How precise and relevant is the real world problem? How interesting or difficult to resolve - functionally or technically - is the problem being challenged? For this criterion, we only focus on the problem challenged, not on the solution created to solve this problem. How well does the project adhere to the current Imagine Cup Theme?
• 35% - Solution Design & Innovation: Does the application approach a new problem, or look at an old problem in a new way? Is the solution completely innovative or does it rely on an existing concept/technology? Does the application impact a large number of people very broadly, or impact a smaller number of people very deeply? To which degree does the application actually solve the current problem?
• 30% - Technical Architecture & User Experience: Is the system architecture broke down into logical chunks and modules? Is the project technically open to some evolution? Is it only made with a monolithic bloc or does it present interfaces enabling extensions (SDKs or APIs)? To which degree are the HMI (Human Machine Interfaces) intuitive, ergonomic and user friendly? Does the application leverage the presence of fresh and updated data?
• 15% - Business Viability: Is the application technically and economically viable? Is this solution only theoretical or does it have a realistic application for commercial purposes? (Not necessarily here and now, but eventually in the future and/or for certain markets).
• 10% - Presentation: The judges will be looking for oral presentations that provide background and context to the project, explain why the problem is an interesting one, highlight how the system works, and include an insightful demonstration. Teams will also be evaluated on their ability to take questions from the judging panel.

Round 3 – World Finals, Poland

PRIZES:

The top 3 UK Software Design teams will win:

1st Prize: Netbook laptop, Xbox 360 title, Windows 7 Ultimate, and Imagine Cup Winners certificate. In addition the 1st Prize winners will be invited to attend a 5 day architectural and design review at the Microsoft Technology Centre in Reading.

2nd Prize: Netbook laptop, Xbox 360 title, and Imagine Cup Winners certificate;

3rd Prize: Flip Video Camera, Xbox 360 title, and Imagine Cup Winners certificate;
The 1st place winning team will also qualify to participate in the international final of the Imagine cup 2010 Software Design invitational which will be held in Warsaw, Poland in July 2010 and each team member, and the Academic Mentor, will receive return economy flights from the major airport nearest the Finalists residence, hotel accommodation on a room only basis, and select meals.

Full terms and conditions for the Software Design competition are available here.

Embedded Development

Embedded devices are becoming smarter, more powerful, and woven seamlessly in to our everyday lives. Get ready to go beyond the desktop and work in both hardware and software to build an exciting solution using Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R2 plus a provided embedded platform. Are you ready to push the envelope of where you can apply embedded technology to improve the world around you?

This year the UK is guaranteed a place at the worldwide final for the Embedded Competition and all judging will take place locally. We will have all the details on this page by 10/11/09.

Game Design

The Game Design competition is designed for you and your team to create a new game that uses Microsoft's XNA Game Studio 3.0 or later, Visual Studio and/or Silverlight. This is a chance for students who've always enjoyed playing games to create their own game and at the same time help change the global community.

Visit the Game Development competition page to learn more.

Digital Media

The Digital Media competition is designed for your team to create a video as interesting and as enticing as possible so that people want to pass it on, share it, and get the entire world to vote for it.  The videos that become the most viral - win! This is a chance for those who've always enjoyed creating videos and multimedia experiences, to develop one that can change the global community.

Visit the Digital Media competition page to learn more.

IT Challenge

IT Challenge highlights the art and science of developing, deploying, and maintaining IT systems that are efficient, functional, robust and secure. You, as a growing IT professional may think you have the base set of tools and techniques, but are you ready to consider a customer's unique needs and configurations that will make all of the pieces of a specific system fit together?

Visit the IT Challenge competition page to learn more.