Winner Emerge in Microsoft 2010 Imagine Cup Competition

Team Indwell has emerged national winner of this year’s Microsoft Imagine Cup competition, held at the Unilag CITS complex, Lagos.
Team Indwell, comprising Abiola Olaniran, Adeboye Oshinaga and Akinbiyi Omole, 400 level students of the Faculty of Technology, Obafemi Awolowo University beat five other teams at the keenly contested event to come out tops.
Team Indwell’s winning title was ‘Brain Media’.  According to the team, the software creates access to quality education throughout the world. This is done by coming up with a platform that builds relationships which combines people (teachers, children, students and other professionals) in the developed nations with those in the under-developed and developing nations. Through this, quality resources are made available for every-body irrespective of their geographical location, political climate and gender inequality.
The project concept which came from joint passion by team members to change the face of African education using technology is an extensible system that allows the development of computer educational applications. The system includes a desktop application, a web application, short message services applications and a central XML Application Programming Interface (API).
Team Green won the Most Innovative prize with their ‘Poverty Alleviation Portal’, a food management scheme aimed at ensuring food security in the country.
Team Wings came second with the ‘Viridis’ software which is targeted at helping in environmental protection, maintenance of vegetation cover  as well as monitoring of carbon emission in the environment.
Speaking at the event, Ken Spann, Development Platform manager, Microsoft Nigeria, said, “This is the third year Nigeria has sent a team to the Imagine Cup finals. This year saw an increase in the number of schools and students participating in the annual Microsoft sponsored software competition. It is the “World Cup” of student software competition. All of Nigeria is wishing for Team Indwell’s success at the finals in Poland.
While commending the winners, Ken Spann expressed hope that if the team put in the same level of seriousness as they did at the Nationals, they will set a new record as the first black country to win the cup. 
The competition invited students in tertiary institutions in the country to apply their imagination, their passion, and their creativity to develop technologies that can make a difference in the world.  This year’s theme aligns with the Millenium Development Goals which include ending poverty, achieving universal education and gender equality.  It also focuses on ensuring maternal and child health, combating HIV/AIDS, achieving environmental sustainability and growing global partnerships.
Unlike last year which had ‘health’ as common theme, this year showed a variety of ideas which cut across education, environmental sustainability, health and poverty alleviation.
Participants were each given 25 minutes to present their concept and demo, this was followed by a rigorous selection process that led to the announcement of the winners.
A visibly excited Akinbiyi Omole, a member of Team Indwell said, “Concept for our project developed out of joint passion by all three of us to change the face of African education using technology, and we started intensive research on the project about 2 years ago. Imagine Cup competition is timely by helping showcase our talents.
He opined, many more talents abound in the country and they can be nurtured to become the best on the continent only if more companies can come up with innovative programmes like Imagine Cup.”
The Imagine Cup Competition sponsored by Microsoft,  leader in software, services and solutions is the world’s premier technology competition designed solely for students.  Now in its eight year, the Imagine Cup has grown to be a global event, one that encourages young people to apply their imagination, their passion, and their creativity to develop technologies that can make a difference in the world. More than 145 students registered for this year’s edition of the competition.