Microsoft and BT Launch Connected Services Sandbox Competitions

Microsoft and BT Launch Connected Services Sandbox Competitions. Competitions to help spur the creation and distribution of managed network mashups.

Today at 3GSM World Congress 2007, Microsoft Corp. and BT announced the launch of the Connected Services Sandbox competition series to help promote the development of innovative customer solutions that merge traditional telecommunications offerings such as voice or text messaging with Web 2.0 applications such as mapping or search. The competitions will be managed by TopCoder Inc., a leader in online programming competitions, skills assessment and competitive software development.

In the competition series, developers will be given the task of developing managed network mashups that address the specific service requirements of multiple usage scenarios. The winners of each competition will receive prizes ranging from $2,500 to $25,000.

Connected Services Sandbox Gaining Momentum

The competition series follows the early December 2006 launch of the Microsoft® Connected Services Sandbox. The Sandbox was developed to unite independent software vendors (ISVs), developers, system integrators (SIs), network equipment providers and telecommunications service providers in an environment that allows each participant to leverage the assets of the others. Participants in the competition series will be able to leverage the assets available within the Connected Services Sandbox.

Since its recent inception, three participants have joined the Sandbox and more than 50 registered services and mashups have been developed. The following are the latest participants in the Sandbox:

- jNetX Inc., ISV and market leader for standards-based (Java for Advanced Integrated Network Service Logic Execution Environment), programmable service platforms

- Satyam Computer Services Ltd., SI and a leading global consulting and IT services company

- Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. (TCS), global SI and India's largest IT consulting, services and business process outsourcing organization

"The Web world and the telecommunications industry have the potential to complement each other in powerful ways," said Michael O'Hara, general manager for the Communications Sector at Microsoft. "By embracing the principles of Web 2.0 and leveraging the significant customer relationships and assets they already have in place, operators have the opportunity to redefine the models for doing business. In the new Telco 2.0 environment, operators will be able to offer hundreds, if not thousands, of new services that enable them to target specific customer segments, reduce 'churn' and drive new revenues. We believe the Connected Services Sandbox will play a critical role in making Telco 2.0 a reality" - Microsoft.