Forum Nokia has announced Calling All Innovators, a contest for developers to create mobile applications that will help to better society. The contest challenges developers to think big about the opportunity to impact the quality of human life with mobile applications. Nokia will award up to $150,000US in cash and prizes, in addition to helping the winning developers distribute their mobile applications.
Calling All Innovators challenges mobile application developers worldwide to create applications that will enhance the use of mobile devices in real world scenarios, in one of the three following categories:
- ECO-Challenge. Submit an application that works to minimize mobility's global environmental impact and develop ways to offer mobile solutions that help consumers make sustainable choices such as reducing their energy consumption or carbon footprint.
- Emerging Markets. This category opens up new opportunities for developers to imagine the possibilities of pioneering applications and services impacting the daily lives in developing nations, which could include solutions for education, health data access, infotainment, rural agriculture, or any other application that improves lives in emerging markets.
- Technology Showcase. This is an opportunity to create and showcase compelling, experience driven applications, using any technology that runs on Series 40 or S60 devices, such as Flash Lite, Java, Python, or open source.
"Calling All Innovators is not just about making mobile applications that could help society; it's about developing mobile applications that will help society," says Forum Nokia's Tom Libretto. "Imagine if an application could help relief workers reallocate resources in real time for disaster-torn areas -- how much could that help both those in need as well as the relief workers in the area?"
First place winners in each category will receive $25,000US, a trip to Mobile World Congress 2009 in Barcelona, and distribution of their application for free through a variety of Nokia channels. Second place winners in each category will receive $10,000US and third place winners will receive $5,000US.
The contest opens on September 16, 2008 and all entries are due by December 15, 2008. Finalists will be selected and notified in January 2009.
