By Emeka Aginam, in Seattle, Washington

Effort to retool Software Nigeria to international market has started yielding   the expected result as Microsoft at the just concluded 2015 Imagine Cup technology competition held in Seattle, Washington  expressed interest on the possibilities of working with Team LifeWatch from Nigeria on their AsthmaVisor solution designed to supervise asthmatic patients.

From left: Obinaju Raymond ,Team Leader, Team LifeWatch ,Adeyemo Oluwaseun and Ahwin Kevin during their live presentation at the just concluded 2015 Microsoft Imagine Cup technology competition for the global students held in Seattle, Washington. Photo By Emeka Aginam

Microsoft Imagine Cup is the world’s premier student technology competition that gives students the opportunity to break new ground, solve tough problems facing the world today.

It would be recalled that thirty three Teams across the globe     had competed in the 2015 Imagine Cup in one of the three categories including World Citizenship, Innovation and Games. The three 2015 competition categories were designed to inspire students to use their imagination and passion to create technology solutions on the Microsoft platform.

Team Lifewatch from Nigeria, Digital Interactive Games from South Africa, and T2 from Tunisia were the three African Teams that made it   to the world finals to fly African flag   at the showcase that exposed the innovative students on how best to be software entrepreneurs after graduation from the university.

Team Nigeria is made up of four innovative    students  from   Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, ABUAD. The members included Adeyemo   Oluwaseun, Kevin Ahwin, Sobola David and Raymond Obinaju .

Accordingly, soon after their brilliant live presentation in the World Citizenship category before Microsoft panel of judges, the innovative solution caught the attention of Microsoft.

This development has shown that Nigerian indigenous solution can be globally competitive if given opportunity and the right platform.

Although Team LifeWatch was unable to advance to championship round at the weekend, because of the potential of AsthmaVisor solution to supervise asthmatic patients in real time,     Dennis Tom, Senior Director, Program Management, Microsoft Corporation who was thrilled by the solution immediately invited them for a meeting at the Microsoft Redmond Campus in Seattle on the possibility of working relationship with the team.

During the meeting with the students and their mentors,     he commended the amazing solution showcased by   Team LIfeWatch, saying that there was need for   possible working relationship   as a result of the robust nature of their solution to solve Asthmatic issues claiming lives all over the world.

When the innovative students asked him on the possibility of partnership to take the solution to the next level, he said that,     “I was thrilled by your live presentation by the panel of judges. Your Team has done well. It is possible to partner on the dust sensor which is the only missing link in the product. But it will take little time though.   We are looking for robust solution like this that will better people’s lives. We can partner on your vision. We can start discussion. You need to work on the dust sensor if you want to get it right.

Asking questions on battery life of the wearable, he advised the students to get approval from the local regulatory authority for product Type-Approval.

Expressing their gratitude for the expression of interest, the spokesperson of Team LifeWatch , Raymond Obinaju said that they will be ready to work with Microsoft so as to take the solution to the next level, adding that the   Team will go back to the drawing board for the challenges ahead.

Meanwhile, the Founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Aare   Afe Babalola, SAN, in his goodwill message to Microsoft   expressed happiness on how the software giant has been   revolutionizing the computing world just as he is reforming and transforming the educational ecosystem in Nigeria .