Riyadh, Dec 13, 2010 -- Microsoft Corp. announced Imagine Cup Solve This, a new program to provide inspiration for students looking to help solve the world's toughest problems. In the spirit of "crowdsourcing," intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and nonprofits now will be able to seek the help of the brilliant and passionate students competing in Microsoft's Imagine Cup, the world's premier student technology competition, to develop innovative solutions to real-world problems. Global IGOs and NGOs including NetHope, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the United Nations Programme on Youth, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and local New York City nonprofit the Robin Hood Foundation are among the first organizations to participate.

IGOs, NGOs and nonprofits often encounter difficult challenges while working to address tough global issues such as education and literacy, disaster relief, environmental sustainability, and global healthcare. These organizations recognize that technology solutions can expand the reach of their services and help them more effectively meet the needs of their audiences. Through Imagine Cup Solve This, Microsoft is providing a marketplace of ideas that students can select to create solutions for as part of the annual Imagine Cup competition. In their submissions, participating organizations have asked students to create these solutions:

  • Technology solutions to promote and assist organizations and educators that foster early reading and literacy among young children

  • An online knowledge management system, or "online campus," with educational content and virtual classrooms for different areas of interest, allowing teachers to interact, collaborate and share information with students

  • Mobile or fixed devices to capture and send videos or transmit live broadcasts from remote areas and under harsh conditions

  • An integrated collaboration and communication platform that encourages youth participation in global development efforts

"The Imagine Cup competition features students who are very passionate about societal issues, problem-solving and technology," said Samir Noman, President of Microsoft Arabia. "To help students generate project ideas, we created Imagine Cup Solve This, which connects them with nonprofits and organizations in need of new approaches to the variety of problems they encounter. This pairing illustrates how we are evolving the competition to empower students to help make a real difference in the world."

Students can register for Imagine Cup 2011 and access a library of problems submitted by the organizations to find project ideas that address issues that matter most to them. Students can put their ideas into action as they create technology solutions in several different categories of competition. Additional details about the Imagine Cup 2011 competitions and challenges are available at http://www.imaginecup.com. Microsoft plans to expand Imagine Cup Solve This over time to include submissions from additional global IGOs, NGOs and nonprofits that are interested in participating.

Now in its ninth year, the Imagine Cup has grown to become a global competition with more than 325,000 students representing 100 countries and regions entering the competition last year. The theme for the 2011 competitions is "Imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems." Typically, students define the problems they solve through research, personal passion for social causes and inspiration from the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. Problems featured within Imagine Cup Solve This complement the other problems students identify for themselves. The Imagine Cup 2011 Worldwide Finals will be held in New York City July 8-13 -- the first time the United States will host the final stage of the competition.

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© Press Release 2010