Team SYTECH, a group of four students from Iasi, Romania, has won the first place in Microsoft's Imagine Cup 2009 competition for Software Design. When Microsoft initially debuted the Imagine Cup competition, Software Design was the sole category available, and to this day it remains the most coveted award. SYTECH won the first prize with a project dubbed UpCity, a collaborative platform designed to bridge the gap between citizens and government agencies. According to SYTECH, the team is already negotiating with the Local Council in Iasi to implement their solution.
“There are absolutely no words to describe what we’re feeling right now. Thank you everyone,” said SYTECH's Adrian Buzgar after the winning team for Software Design was announced. “The project will be developed for the city hall of our city at the end of this month. Then we’re going to try to build a company.”
For Software design second place went to Russia's Vital Lab, while Brazil's Virtual Dreams was the bronze winner. In addition South Korea’s Team Wafree grabbed the first place in the Embedded Development category, with Brazil’s Team LEVV It winning the Game Development challenge. Microsoft revealed that in excess of 300,000 students from over 100 markets around the world signed up for the competition this year. The finals, which took place in Cairo, Egypt, saw no less than 444 students attempt to win in the nine categories of the competition.
“The creativity and imagination that students poured into their projects this year was incredible,” revealed Joe Wilson, senior director of Academic Initiatives, Developer and Platform Evangelism Division at Microsoft. “Many of these projects have the potential to have a serious impact on how we address society’s most pressing issues. We hope that all of the students who participated this year will continue their pursuit of creating technology in the service of making the world a better place.”
Here is a list with all 2009 Imagine Cup winners:
Software Design First place: Romania, SYTECH Second place: Russia, Vital Lab Third place: Brazil, Virtual Dreams
Embedded Development
First place: Korea, Wafree Second place: China, iSee Third place: Ukraine, Intellectronics
Game Development
First place: Brazil, LEVV It Second place: United States, Epsylon Games Third place: United Kingdom, Sanquine Labs
IT Challenge
First place: Romania, Cosmin Ilie Second place: China, Wu Chang Third place: Bolivia, Miklos Cari Sivila
Robotics & Algorithm First place: Czech Republic, Lukas Perutka Second place: Canada, Byron Knoll Third place: China, Lin Fuming
MashUp
First place: United States, CURIOUS Second place: Poland, Monastery of Innovations Third place: Brazil, Virtual Dreams
Photography
First place: Croatia, Team Voodoo Delirium Second place: Singapore, Woolgathering Third place: Japan, Terada
Short Film
First place: United Kingdom, Fulham Four Second place: India, ChennaiCoolers Third place: Ukraine, Just4Fun
Design
First place: Brazil, Willburn Second place: United States, eXchangeFun Third place: France, Paindepices
2009 Awards Unlimited Potential MultiPoint Education Award First place: India, Trailblazers
Unlimited Potential Design for Development Award
First place: Malaysia, COSMIC Second place: China, Unique Studio Third place: Malaysia, Capricorn
Interoperability Award
First place: Brazil, Proativa Teams
Second place: Poland, Fteams
Third place: Jordan, ECRAM
Accessibility Award
First place: Saudi Arabia, ATST
Second place: Mexico, Ignis Nova
Honorable Mention(s): Jordan, ECRAM; United States, TeleWeb; China, Isee; Belgium, PSA
Accessible Design Award
United States, eXchangeFun
Tablet Accessibility Award
First place: United States, Auratech Second place: Brazil, IC-Unicamp
Parallel Computing Award
First place: India, Biollel
H.E. Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak Special Award First place: Poland, kAMUflage Second place: Egypt, Big Buddy Third place: France, WikiChildProtect
Windows Mobile Award Winners
Croatia, Team Explorer Indonesia, Big Bang Brazil, Virtual Dreams
Live Services Award
First place: France, Help'Aged Second place: Serbia, BrainWave