Press Release AsiaStudent .NET 2002 Launch

December 16, 2002

For Immediate Release

Kuala Lumpur: In a concerted effort to sift through the local talent pool to identify Malaysian programming talents, Microsoft Knowledge Capital Centre Sdn Bhd (MKCC) in collaboration with i2Media Sdn Bhd, a media and technology solutions specialist, launched the AsiaStudent.NET 2002 competition, an annual software development contest focusing on Microsoft’s .NET web services technology (deemed to be a revolution in the software industry) for college students in early May this year. It is also the aim of this project to highlight the fact that software development will be one of the key careers of the future in Malaysia, in line with the aspirations of the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) initiative.

The competition is fully sponsored by MKCC. Microsoft’s developer evangelist and project manager for the competition Tan Loke Uei said, “It is indeed a very positive sign to see so many Malaysian institutions of higher learning embracing the .NET technology. This technology leverages on the power of the Internet for its many applications and as we all know, the Internet has revolutionised the way we work, communicate and play. As such the .NET technology will increasingly become part and parcel of the software development industry and our lives.”

“Since the launch in May, many proposals have been submitted. The response has been encouraging even though many universities and colleges are still new and raw to the XML Web services model,” Tan added. “Nonetheless, the main purpose of the contest is to encourage students to unleash their innovative power and creative ideas to make the most of the power of ‘seamless collaboration,’ which is the fundamentals of the .NET framework.”

To date, the competition has attracted more than 20 institutions of higher learning nationwide comprising Malaysia’s top universities and colleges, but only five teams have been selected for the Finals – there are two teams representing the Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology (APIIT), and one each from Multimedia University (Melaka), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and Kolej Damansara Utama (KDU).

The Finalists of the AsiaStudent.NET 2002 competition had to go through several rigorous rounds of screening before they were selected. Among others, the Finalists were required to submit their project documentations to the Contest Secretariat to be evaluated by a panel of judges.

The AsiaStudent.NET 2002 panel of judges comprised four of the very best software developers in Malaysia. They are also respectable trainers themselves and together have a combined experience of more than 50 years in the software development industry. As judges, they were required to follow each team’s progress from fortnightly updates, which were done electronically. The judging process is done in the most stringent and thorough manner as they need to understand the students’ ideas and understanding of XML Web services.

Come December 23, 2002. Microsoft Malaysia will play host to the Finals of the AsiaStudent.NET 2002 competition in its new head office at the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) – one of the hubs of the MSC.

“We are delighted to have students and their supervisors to join us in this event,” Tan said. “Microsoft Malaysia has always been very supportive when it comes to helping students and lecturers embrace the latest technologies. Even though Microsoft is constantly evolving and moving forward, we have never lost sight of supporting the vision and mission of the MSC.”

According to Daniel Tsen from the AsiaStudent.NET 2002 Contest Secretariat, such transfer of technology and knowledge could not have come at a better time. Tsen who is also Vice-President and Chief Internet Architect of i2Media said: “As the nation progresses, more and more companies will be seeking for highly skilled knowledge workers. We are delighted the software industry is working hand-in-hand with the next generation of software developers. The transformation of students’ pedagogical process will change. These students will be empowered through applied learning and sourcing information straight from Microsoft. Also what can be better than showcasing talent through a competition endorsed by the world’s largest software company.”

The top winner of AsiaStudent.NET 2002 will walk away with a cash prize of RM10,000 in addition to a host of Microsoft products including the Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) software. The runner-up will take home RM5,000 in cash and the third prize winner RM2,000 cash. The fourth and fifth place teams will enjoy some Microsoft products.

This year’s top team and its supervisor will also be heading to China for the AsiaStudent.NET International Finals early next year. They will not only be competing against the continent’s very best from China, South Korea, the Philippines and India, but also have the chance of a lifetime to meet Bill Gates, Microsoft’s Chairman and Chief Software Architect in person.

“The finalists of AsiaStudent.NET 2002 will also gain national visibility while still at school and when the time comes for them to seek internships or full-time jobs, their participation in a nationwide software development competition will definitely give them the advantage over other applicants,” Microsoft’s Tan added.

Released on behalf of Microsoft Knowledge Capital Centre Sdn Bhd by i2Media Sdn Bhd. For more information, kindly contact Daniel Tsen at +60-12-2360072 or e-mail daniel@i2media.com.my