IBM has introduced a programming competition, for college and university students, offering cash prizes and awards for the most innovative applications of the Cell Broadband Engine (Cell/BE).
Twenty-five countries, including SA, are invited to participate in the Cell/BE University Challenge 2007.
IBM says participants must demonstrate their mastery of the theoretical and practical uses of Cell/BE technologies, as they complete an online quiz testing their knowledge of Cell/BE trivia, and then develop an innovative software program based on the technology.
"This contest gives students a unique opportunity to take the technology underpinnings of the Cell Broadband Engine and then imagine what is possible given their own skills and interests," says Mathula Mphande, communications executive at IBM SA.
The Cell/BE microprocessor - developed by IBM, Sony and Toshiba - features eight synergistic processors, and a central processing core based on IBM's Power Architecture technology.
IBM hopes that, by working directly with the Cell/BE, students will get hands-on experience, as well as tangible, multidisciplinary skills that will give them a competitive-edge as they enter the workforce.
"They are the earliest adopters of these advanced technologies and in the best position to see new opportunities to take full advantage of its capabilities - I can't wait to see the results," adds Mphande.
College or university students interested in participating in the challenge can log on to the Web site and click on the "participate" tab.
Winners of challenge two (the cash prize challenge) will be chosen by a panel comprising academic and IBM technical experts, and will receive cash prizes ranging from $10 000 for the first-place winner, to $2 500 for the fourth-place winner.
Two winners (from two different regions) will be chosen later in the year.
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