Java Masters Competition

(mods, this might also be relevant to buisness category)

Just been announced. It’s a “develop-cool-program-for-Siemens-mobile” yoke. Not exclusively games, but last year there been a number of game submissions, and two games made it into winners (out of total three winners). Mobile games is something that will be huge soon, and they still don’t need too much work to get developed due to the platform’s constraints.

There’s also a buisness section, open to students and start-ups.

Here’s the thing they sent around:

Following last year’s successful cooperation between Sun and Siemens
Information and Communication Mobile (Siemens mobile) to launch the Java
Masters award, students worldwide are once again invited to develop
innovative Java applications. Participants will be asked to create new
functionalities for Siemens M55, MC60 and SX1 mobile phones. In addition,
this year’s Business (BIZ) Award, which is an integral part of the “Java
Masters 2004” competition, will welcome entries from start-up companies as
well.

The competition aims to firmly establish Java at universities worldwide,
motivating young developers to devote time and effort to mobile applications
and drive innovation across the industry.

The best Java Application Award is divided into two categories:
Entertainment and Business applications. Cutting-edge Java applications
(J2ME) will be developed for the Siemens SX1, MC60 and M55 mobile phones in
each category. Professional developer tools will be made available by Sun
and Siemens. Students and pre-market start-up companies are also encouraged
to participate in the BIZ Award. Judges will seek well-designed business
concepts and models along with resource-saving programming which are
particularly important for mobile devices.

The first prize is a trip to the award ceremony in Munich, Germany,
including a visit to the Formula One race in Hockenheim, Germany, as well as
an exclusive Siemens high-end phone. The second prize consists of a Sun
Blade 150 Workstation and a Siemens high-end phone. The third prize is a
Siemens high-end phone. The winner of the Business Award prize will gain a
professional business coaching by a Siemens Mobile Acceleration Investment
Director.

In the first Java Masters competition a total of 2,000 students across the
globe took up the challenge to compete for the award of best mobile Java
application(s). Around 10,000 followers logged on to the Java Masters
website to vote for the best application, based on the demos and
descriptions. Online voters judged the winner to be the game ‘Blazers’, from
Ukranian student Eugene Yatsenko, who has since signed a contract with
Siemens.

To take part in the second Java Masters Competition, participants must
register on the Website at http://www.javamasters.org http://www.javamasters.org/.
Judges from technical and marketing divisions from Siemens mobile and Sun
Microsystems will evaluate the application looking at user friendliness and
marketability. The application must satisfy all evaluation criteria,
regardless of whether the application is a new Jump & Run game, a restaurant
guide or an email client.
The final date for application submission is 15 March 2004.

See also: http://www.javamasters.org.