Microsoft Invites US Students to Register for Imagine Cup

Microsoft is inviting students in the United States to register for what the company refers to as the world’s premier technology competition. Participants to Microsoft’s eighth annual U.S. Imagine Cup competition will only be accepted until February 1st, 2010, the software giant underlined. However, registering is just the first step of the challenge. Students ages 16 and over will first need to be accepted to the Spring Round 1 – Qualifying portion. The first phase is followed by the U.S. finals which are scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C., in April 2010.

“The Imagine Cup is a unique opportunity for students to help solve real-world problems while gaining experience outside the classroom,” revealed Anthony Salcito, vice president for Worldwide Education at Microsoft. “Developing technology innovations, working in a team environment and understanding how to create a viable business plan are invaluable to students who want to successfully achieve careers in today’s world.”

The winners of the eighth annual U.S. Imagine Cup competition will receive no less than $36,000 in prize money and will get the chance to represent the US in the worldwide finals in Warsaw, Poland, in July. The software giant is asking students to develop concepts in which technology is used in order to solve social problems outlined in the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals. According to the Redmond company, the student teams that will sign up before the February 1 deadline will have a chance at winning the “$10,000 Cash for Students” sweepstakes.

“To win a trip to the U.S. finals, teams are selected as finalists in fall and spring competitions. Today, Microsoft is announcing the finalists for the fall competition, who will vie for the nation’s Imagine Cup title. Student teams that competed in the fall competition but did not make it to the finals are encouraged to work on their projects and enter them in the spring competition. Contests are conducted in several categories including Software Design, Game Design and Web Design,” Microsoft stated.