Four UVic students win Canadian technology contest

by Maria Lironi

Four UVic computer science students will represent Canada at Microsoft's Imagine Cup Software Design Invitational in Brazil this summer after winning the Imagine Cup Canada 2004 Software Design Challenge.

Mike Flasko, Elisa Johnson, Jason Kemp and Tyler Holmes, all co-op students, designed a system that eliminates some of the problems associated with organizing and participating in an amateur sporting event.

"Game.Set.Match" enables tournament data to be administered via cell phone and to be available in real-time to participants and fans through either the Web or MSN-style alerts. Previously, this type of real-time information was available only at professional tournaments. "Game.Set.Match" also allows tournament organizers to create a schedule based on online registration.

Now in its second year, Microsoft's Imagine Cup is an international technology contest that provides an outlet for students to explore their technological and artistic interests outside the classroom.

"We're all very excited about competing at the worlds," says Flasko. "Already, the experience and contacts have made the hours we've spent on the competition worthwhile."

The UVic team will represent Canada at the world championships July 4-6 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Along with competitors from 40 other countries, the UVic team will present its entry to a panel of judges from academia and the technology industry.

As well as winning the trip to Brazil, the students are being awarded $3,000, a trip to a software developer conference in Toronto, and software.
For more information visit: www.imaginecup.com/.