Microsoft to broadcast Imagine Cup 2011 on webcast live
David Olaniyan, Nerds Inc. Nigeria: Oluwafemi Alaba, Taiwo Orogbangba
By Emeka Aginam, in New York
While the global community awaits anxiously for winners of the 2011 edition of world’s premier student technology competition, the software giant, Microsoft has disclosed that the Imagine Cup world festival and awards ceremony will be on webcast live tomorrow, July 13, 2011 from the David H. Koch Theatre at Lincoln center in New York.
The webcast will enable people from around the world to share in the excitement and emotion of the culmination of the yearlong competition.
Meanwhile, the New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg; philanthropist, activist and actor Eva Longoria; Microsoft executives; and Imagine Cup student representatives of 70 countries and regions are expected to grace the event.
The Imagine Cup, sponsored by Microsoft Corp, is the world’s premier student technology competition, challenging high school and university students to use technology to solve the world’s toughest problems.
Starting from a field of more than 350,000 students from 183 countries and regions, Microsoft had selected 424 finalists from around the world to travel to New York for the Imagine Cup 2011 Worldwide finals that will end today.
It would be recalled that the Microsoft Chief Executive Officer, Steve Ballmer had earlier told the participating high school and university students at the opening ceremony of the 2011 Imagine Cup competitions that they represent the pinnacle of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurialism from 73 countries and regions around the globe.
“First, ideas matter. Sometimes people get all caught up at speed and agility and execution, which is certainly vital, but part of the reason you’re here isn’t just because you work really hard and you did some really good programming; it’s because you had an idea that somebody thought mattered. You picked something interesting to do.
You picked something that somebody thought was important to work on. And in our business ideas matter.
“Secondly, and at least in this industry, you’ve got to find something that you’re passionate about. You’re going to put in way too much time and way too much energy to not be completely fired up about what you’re doing.
“Some of you probably get quiet and focused and steely. But you have to find something that you can put yourself into heart, body and soul. And hopefully part of what you learned from this Imagine Cup exercise is you found some part of your passion, something that really resonated with you that you could get very enthusiastic about.
“Thirdly, you’ve got to be tenacious. There’s a view in the technology business that all great things are achieved by three people in three months. Most of you know that the greatness of your project couldn’t be achieved by three people in three months, probably took you more like eight or nine, and probably most of you understand that if you want to take your ideas to the next level, they would require more time, more attention, more tenacity.
“You’ve got to keep with these things and keep working on them, because whether you’re Microsoft or Apple or Facebook or Google or Oracle or VMware or SAP or IBM, it doesn’t matter who you are in this business, there’s no substitute for really being tenacious and keeping after those ideas that you are really passionate about.
“I encourage you to enjoy your time here in New York, enjoy the Imagine Cup. To those of you who win something I say congratulations for that extra honor in advance. For those of you who do not, I say congratulations, because certainly everybody who’s here is a winner who’s done incredible work, and you should be incredibly proud” Ballmer said.
