The company is asking for user's votes to designate a People's Choice winner

Apr 2, 2012 12:26 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft is getting ready to announce the 2012 Global Microsoft Next winners, and has just opened voting for “People’s Choice” award in this competition.

Driven by the idea of bringing innovation into people’s lives, the company kicked off the Microsoft Next competition, encouraging people to share their ideas. The challenge was meant to enable Microsoft employees to share their work and have their vision celebrated.

This year’s competition attracted a lot of people, 27 of which made it to the last round. At the moment, Microsoft offers users the possibility to vote the ideas they like the most, so that a “People’s Choice” winner emerges.

“Employees were invited to submit three-minute videos explaining how they are helping individuals and communities all over the world “Be What’s Next,”” Jean-Philippe Courtois, President, Microsoft International, explains.

“Twenty-seven winners were selected from 12 countries, and those winning videos are now open for a public vote, via this dedicated MSN site. Via this public vote, we will name one overall “People’s Choice” winner. Voting will remain open until April 11 at 11:59pm PDT.”

The quality and variety of entries have risen a lot this year, Jean-Philippe Courtois notes. Employees from all over the world brought to the competition ideas ranging from a Kinect-driven robot to applications that can detect disease and the like.

The company’s technology enables great ideas to come to life, and people can help Microsoft crown the most innovative of them.

This year’s jury for the competition includes: Chris Capossela, Chief Marketing Officer; Satya Nadella, President of the Server and Tools Business; Rick Rashid, Chief Research Officer; Ali Faramawy, corporate vice president for Middle East & Africa; Kathleen Hogan, corporate vice president for Worldwide Services; Orlando Ayala, Chairman, Emerging Markets; Sue Bevington, corporate vice president of SMSG HR; and Tracey Fellows, associate vice president for Asia Pacific.

Those who would like to learn more on these ideas and are also interested in casting their votes to help with the competition should head over to Microsoft’s website for that.