By Emeka Aginam

Software giant, Microsoft has started the  search for the 2012 software talents around the world, even as it is urging young Nigerians in tertiary institutions  to avail themselves of the opportunity of participating in the world’s premier student technology competition tagged; ‘Microsoft Imagine Cup’.

With the deadline for this year Imagine Cup student technology competition approaching, Microsoft Nigeria has called on  Nigerian students to participate and come up with imaginative solutions to use technology to help solve some of the world’s toughest problems.

Running in its tenth year, the competition has grown to become the world’s premier student technology competition with more than 358,000 students representing 183 countries participating in last year’s event.

For one thing, the annual software competition has gone a long way in preparing software incubators for the global job market.

According to the software giant, students have until 13 March 2012, to register for the competition in one of eight categories including  Software Design; Game Design (Xbox/Phone); Game Design (Phone); IT Challenge; Kinect Fun Labs Challenge; Windows Metro Style App Challenge; Windows Azure Challenge; and Windows Phone Challenge.

It would be recalled that last year , the success of Nigeria’s Team Nerds Inc. – who made it into the top five for the People’s Choice Award and qualified to enter for the Grants Award – represented a milestone for the country in the competition.