Our industry does not respect tradition, it only respects innovation: Imagine Cup Canada Announced!

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Imagine Cup 2015 has been announced . If you are a Canadian Student and not participating in the ultimate global student technology competition, you are missing out! In this blog post, I will discuss specific details about the Innovation Category.

 

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“Our industry does not respect tradition, it only respects innovation.” – Satya Nadella

If you think you have the next big thing, you really need to participate in the Imagine Cup 2015: Innovation Category!

What you need to know

The Innovation Path is the place for the next big thing. Are you looking to change the way people use technology? Are you planning something that will disrupt the current paradigm? Do you see your app in everyone's hands, all over the world? If that sounds like you, you're in the right place.

Projects must be developed using at least one product in the Visual Studio family and must be built to require any one or more of the following platforms: Windows, Windows Phone, Windows Azure.

Deadline to enter is April 4 2015 at 8 PM GMT

Submission requirements:

  • A video Presentation of your project to a panel of judges in which your entire team appears on camera to deliver the presentation as if to a panel of judges. This presentation should explain your project and your team: Who is your team is; what your project does; who your project is for; and how you will bring your project to market. Your video must be no longer than 10 minutes and it may not have any edits or added visual effects. You may not move the camera during your presentation. In all respects it should replicate the experience of a judge sitting and viewing your live presentation.
  • Software that is usable by the judges in a hands-on evaluation.
  • Software Instructions document explaining how to use your software.
  • Project Proposal Word or PDF document no longer than ten pages, or a PowerPoint presentation no longer than twenty slides, which explains your project and your team: who your team is; what your project does; who your project is for; and how you will bring your project to market.

What’s the judging criteria?

You will receive a score of 1-100 based on the following criteria.

Concept

Does the project have a clear target or audience?

Does the project address a clear need, problem, or opportunity and is the solution clearly explained?

Is the project's purpose and basic functionality easily understood?

15%

Innovation

Does the project create a new category of product or service?

If there are similar products or services on the market, does the project clearly and meaningfully innovate beyond those existing products or services?

Does the project present a new and meaningfully improved way of accomplishing something?

Does the project include innovations in user experience? Does the project include innovations in technical design and/or implementation?

50%

Execution

Is the project easy to use?

Does the project have a professional degree of production in terms of user interface, visuals, and audio?

Does the project perform well and respond crisply to input? Does the project make effective and appropriate use of the major features of its chosen platform(s)?

Were there significant platform features or event platforms the project could have benefitted from but failed to utilize?

20%

Feasibility

Does the team have a credible plan for getting their project to market in terms of business model, any required partnerships, or other factors?

Does the team have any form of external validation for their project such as customer surveys, focus group tests, an active beta-test program, recommendations from subject-matter experts, or potential investors?

Does the project have a reasonable chance of success in its appropriate market give the team's existing plan?

15%

What’s the Canadian Innovation Prize?

The 1st place team in the Innovation Competition will win one (1) 30 minute Skype Call with a recruiter from Microsoft Corporate, AND one (1) 30 minute Skype conversation with Aron Solomon, AND one (1) 30 minute Skype call with Nathan Monk.

If you win in Canada, we will send one team to the World finals in Seattle Washington to compete for the Imagine Cup and $50,000! It could be you!

What are the next steps?

  1. Find a team
  2. Register your team here
  3. Develop your application
  4. Submit your project by April 4th, 2015 8PM GMT

For any other details, please refer www.imaginecup.ca or drop an email to ImagineCupCanada@microsoft.com .

Register today at www.imaginecup.ca