Software Design Official Rules

This competition starts at 5:01 PM Pacific Time (PT) on August 16, 2011, and ends at 4:59 PM PT on March 13, 2012 (“Entry Period”). The Entry Period consists of three (3) separate Rounds as described below. Each round has unique entry requirements and all required entry deliverables must be received within the designated Round in order to be eligible for judging.

Round	Start Date (all times 5:01 PM PT)	End Date (all times 4:59 PM PT)
Fall Round 1 - Qualifying	August 16, 2011	October 14, 2011
Fall Round 2 - Semi Finals	October 15, 2011	November 14, 2011
Spring Round 1 - Qualifying	November 15, 2011	February 14, 2012
Spring Round 2 - Semi Finals	February 15, 2012	March 13, 2012
Round 3 - US Finals	April 2012	April 2012

Public Voting Period: In addition to the dates listed above, Fall and Spring Semi-Finalist entries will be presented online for public voting following the close of the Spring Round 2 – Semi-Finals period.

The competition sign up period begins at 5:01 AM PT on August 16, 2011, and ends at 4:59 PM PT on March 13, 2012 ("Registration Period").

You are eligible to enter this competition if you meet the following requirements at time of competition sign up:

• You are at least sixteen (16) years of age or older at time of entry; and
• You are a legal resident of the fifty (50) United States (including the District of Columbia); and
• You are actively enrolled as a student (including as a graduate or doctoral student) at an accredited educational institution that grants high-school or college/university (or equivalent) degrees (including homeschools) located in the 50 United States (including the District of Columbia) at any time between January 2, 2011 and May 31, 2012; and
• You are NOT an employee or intern of Microsoft Corporation, or an employee of a Microsoft subsidiary; and
• You are NOT involved in any part of the administration and execution of this competition; and
• You are NOT an immediate family (parent, sibling, spouse, child) or household member of a Microsoft employee, an employee of a Microsoft subsidiary, or a person involved in any part of the administration and execution of this competition.

If you are a Microsoft campus representative, such as a Microsoft Student Partner (see http://student-partners.com), and you meet the eligibility criteria described above, you may enter this competition, but you are prohibited from using Microsoft property or resources, including without limitation, Microsoft networks, hardware tools and technology resources and/or the counsel of Microsoft employees in connection with the creation of your entry. Very simply, you cannot use any resources which are not also broadly available to all other students. If you have any questions, please contact us.

For additional information regarding eligibility verification and changes in eligibility status, please refer to the overall Imagine Cup Official Rules.

This promotion is void outside the geographic region described above and where prohibited by law.

If you wish to participate in this competition, you must register at www.imaginecup.us as instructed during the competition sign-up Period.

A team may consist of up to four (4) eligible students (each a "Team"). It is recommended, but not required, that you have one (1) mentor for your Team, in addition to your four (4) Team members. Limit one (1) mentor per Team. A mentor can be from an educational institution, a not-for-profit organization, or a private sector company.

Once you sign up as part of a Team for a Competition, you cannot change Teams or alter your current team (either by adding or removing members) after the close of Round 2.

Each Team is solely responsible for its own cooperation and teamwork. In no event will Microsoft officiate in any dispute regarding the conduct or cooperation of any Team or its members. In addition, although you may not compete as a member of multiple Teams in this Competition, you may compete as a member of a different team in a different 2012 Imagine Cup Invitational.

For additional important details on signing up for a competition, please see the requirements set forth in the Team and Individual Competitions section of the Imagine Cup Official Rules at: Imagine Cup Official Rules

Please note that the intent and spirit of the competition is to test the skills and creativity of the student entrants. Anyone acting as a team mentor, or in an mentorship role, where allowed (for example, local, regional, or global sponsors), must limit the level of support provided to student entrants to general guidance and must not contribute in any way that may be considered original authorship, or in a way that may enable claims of rights or ownership to the submitted entries. In no event will work-on-behalf of teams or individuals be allowed.

To be eligible, your entry must meet the following content and technical requirements:

Required Elements:

Your entry must meet all of the following requirements:

• Your entry must address a social cause connected to the Imagine Cup 2012 Theme: "Imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems".
• All elements of your entry must be in the English language. If a translator is needed, you are responsible for managing all related arrangements.
• Your application must run on any version of the Microsoft .NET Framework.
• Your application must be developed using at least one (1) of the products within the Visual Studio family (Express, Standard, Professional, or Team System) for development.

Optional Elements:

Your entry must contain or use features of at least one (1) of the optional elements:

• Either an implementation or the consumption of an XML Web Service
• Windows
• Windows Live SDK
• Use of Windows Phone technologies
• Silverlight
• Azure for implementing a S+S architecture application
• Windows MultiPoint Mouse SDK
• Windows Touch
• Kinect for Xbox 360 SDK
• HTML5

Other Requirements:

In addition to the content and technical requirements described above, in order to be eligible for judging, all entries must meet the following general standards:

• The content of your entry and any supporting materials must be suitable for all viewing audiences. Any material containing text, sound or images that we or the judges, in their sole opinion, determine to be vulgar, offensive or otherwise inappropriate for public viewing or content that would present Microsoft or other companies in a negative light will be disqualified.

In addition, by submitting your entry into this game you confirm that, to the best of your knowledge:

• The entirety of the entry is your/your teams original work; and
  • For Competitions which require a video entry, please note the video must be solely the work of the team, including but not limited to, the actual filming, editing, graphic design, etc. of the video.
• You/your teams have obtained any and all consents, approvals, or licenses required for you to submit your entry; and
• Your/your teams entry does not include any third party trademarks (logos, names) or copyrighted materials (music, images, video, recognizable people) unless you have obtained permission to use the materials. You may include Microsoft trademarks, logos, and designs, for which Microsoft grants you a limited license to use for the sole purposes of submitting an entry into this Competition. Note: Your team’s entry may not include copyrighted materials (such as background music, imagines, or video) unless your own or have permission to use the materials. Your team’s entry will be disqualified if copyrighted material is included without permission.

We reserve the right to disqualify or reject any entries that we, in our sole discretion, find to be a duplicate, or the result of collaborative work contrary to these competition details and/or to the spirit of the Competition.

To be eligible for consideration, you must submit the materials described below during each round:

Fall and Spring Round 1 - Qualifying

Using the templates that we will provide at www.imaginecup.us, complete and submit the following:

• Starter Project Plan created using required template that includes a description of your solution, how it adheres to the competition theme, and development timeline.
• Wireframes or prototype (optional submission).

Note: During certain periods of the competition, participants may also submit Round 1 requirements via www.campuslive.com. Please see www.campuslive.com for full rules and details.

Fall and Spring Round 2 - Semi-Finals

Using the templates provided at www.imaginecup.us , complete and submit the following:

• Working prototype of the software application, in “Alpha Mode,” submitted as a Microsoft Visual Studio project file.
• Updated Project Plan created using required template, updated to include more detail and any changes to the project.
• A video (at least 3, but not more than 7 minutes), submitted as an electronic file less than 200 MB in size in the .avi, .mpeg, or .wmv format that: (A) introduces each member of the Team; and (B) describes your software application by providing: (i) background and context; (ii) an explanation of why the problem that your software application is designed to address is interesting; (iii) a description of how the software application works; and (3) a demonstration of the software application in “Alpha Mode.”

Round 3 - US Finals

For the US Finals, your Team must create and submit the materials described below:

• Up to two (2) different 20 minute live presentations and 10 minute Q & A of the software application and how it addresses the 2012 Imagine Cup Theme as well as its development architecture, purpose(s) and benefit(s).
• Beta version of the software application to demonstrate as part of your presentation; roughly 80% complete.

Fall and Spring Round 1 - Qualifying
To submit your entry, you must navigate to www.imaginecup.us and submit your entry materials as instructed.

Note: During certain periods of the competition, participants may also submit Round 1 requirements via www.campuslive.com. Please see www.campuslive.com for full rules and details.

Fall and Spring Round 2 - Semi-Finals
To submit your entry, you must navigate to www.imaginecup.us and submit your entry materials as instructed.

Round 3 - US Finals
If you are selected to advance to the US Finals, Microsoft will provide you with entry submission requirements prior to the start of the US Finals.

Fall and Spring Round 1 - Qualifying and Fall and Spring Round 2 Semi-Finals: We will only accept one (1) entry per team during the Fall Series and one (1) entry per team during the Spring Series.

Round 3 - US Finals: We will only accept one (1) entry per team.

We are not responsible for entries that we do not receive for any reason, or for entries that we receive but are not decipherable for any reason.

We will automatically disqualify:

• Incomplete or illegible entries; and
• Entries that we receive in excess of the entry limit described above

Fall and Spring Round 1 - Qualifying

On or around the close of the Fall or Spring Round 1 Entry Period, the judges will review all entries received. Teams that submitted all required Round 1 entry materials (in compliance with the applicable content and technical requirements, as determined by the judges) will be invited to advance to compete in Round 2.

Fall and Spring Round 2 - Semi-Finals

On or around the close of the Fall and Spring Semi-Finals Entry Period, the judges will review all eligible entries received, and select the top five (5) teams according to the following criteria:

Fall and Spring Round 2 Semi-Finals Judging Criteria

• 10% - Problem Definition: How precise and relevant is the real world problem? How interesting or difficult to resolve - functionally or technically - is the problem being challenged? For this criterion, we only focus on the problem challenged, not on the solution created to solve this problem. How well does the project adhere to the current Imagine Cup Theme?
• 35% - Solution Design & Innovation: Does the application approach a new problem, or look at an old problem in a new way? Is the solution completely innovative or does it rely on an existing concept/technology? Does the application impact a large number of people very broadly, or impact a smaller number of people very deeply? To which degree does the application actually solve the current problem?
• 30% - Technical Architecture & User Experience: Is the system architecture broken down into logical chunks and modules? Is the project technically open to some evolution? Is it only made with a monolithic bloc or does it present interfaces enabling extensions (SDKs or APIs)? To which degree are the HMI (Human Machine Interfaces) intuitive, ergonomic and user friendly? Does the application leverage the presence of fresh and updated data?
• 15% - Business Viability: Is the application technically and economically viable? Is this solution only theoretical or does it have a realistic application for commercial purposes? (Not necessarily here and now, but eventually in the future and/or for certain markets).
• 10% Video Presentation: Does your video provide background and context to the project, explain why the problem is an interesting one, highlight how the system works, and include an insightful demonstration?

The winning teams will advance to compete in the US Finals and will also be eligible for the People’s Choice Award described below. If you are selected as a finalist during the Fall Series, you will not be eligible to be selected as a finalist again during the Spring Series.

People's Choice Award

The finalists’ entries will be presented online for public voting at the US Imagine Cup Website (the “Site”) according to the dates listed above. Throughout the Public Voting Period, registered visitors to the site will have the opportunity to visit the Contest Gallery and “vote” for an entry. Methods of voting and voting limitations will be communicated after the close of Round 2.

Round 3 - US Finals

On around the close of the US Finals Entry Period, the judges will review all eligible entries received to determine one (1) First Place Winner, one (1) Second Place Winner, one (1) Third Place Winner, and one (1) Fourth Place Winner according to the following criteria:

US Finals Judging Criteria

• 10% - Problem Definition: How precise and relevant is the real world problem? How interesting or difficult to resolve - functionally or technically - is the problem being challenged? For this criterion, we only focus on the problem challenged, not on the solution created to solve this problem. How well does the project adhere to the current Imagine Cup Theme?
• 35% - Solution Design & Innovation: Does the application approach a new problem, or look at an old problem in a new way? Is the solution completely innovative or does it rely on an existing concept/technology? Does the application impact a large number of people very broadly, or impact a smaller number of people very deeply? To which degree does the application actually solve the current problem?
• 30% - Technical Architecture & User Experience: Is the system architecture broke down into logical chunks and modules? Is the project technically open to some evolution? Is it only made with a monolithic bloc or does it present interfaces enabling extensions (SDKs or APIs)? To which degree are the HMI (Human Machine Interfaces) intuitive, ergonomic and user friendly? Does the application leverage the presence of fresh and updated data?
• 15% - Business Viability: Is the application technically and economically viable? Is this solution only theoretical or does it have a realistic application for commercial purposes? (Not necessarily here and now, but eventually in the future and/or for certain markets).
• 10% - Presentation: The judges will be looking for oral presentations that provide background and context to the project, explain why the problem is an interesting one, highlight how the system works, and include an insightful demonstration. Teams will also be evaluated on their ability to take questions from the judging panel.

If your Team is selected as the First Place Winner, then least one (1) member of your Team must travel, as a guest of Microsoft, to compete at the 2012 Imagine Cup Worldwide Software Design Invitational Final in Sydney, Australia. If neither you nor anyone else from you Team can attend, the next highest scoring Team will be invited to compete instead.

Fall and Spring Round 2 Semi Finals:

Ten (10) First Place Prizes (Five (5) in Fall and Five (5) in Spring). Each officially registered member of the Team and one officially registered mentor of the team will win a trip to the location of the US Finals (location and exact dates to be announced), to compete in the US Finals in April 2012. Trip includes round coach trip airfare from major airport closest to winner’s home, standard hotel accommodations, select meals, and activities.

People's Choice Award:

One (1) People's Choice Award Prize.
The People’s Choice Award Prize(s) will be communicated after the close of Round 2.

Round 3 US Finals:

First Place: A prize package that includes the following:

• Each officially registered member of the Team will win a trip to Sydney, Australia, to compete in the 2012 Imagine Cup Worldwide Software Design Invitational Final. (See www.imaginecup.com for rules applicable to the 2011 Imagine Cup Worldwide Software Design Invitational Final.) Trip includes round trip coach airfare from major airport closest to winner’s home, standard hotel accommodations, select meals, and activities.
• $8,000 USD, to be divided equally among each member of the team.
• $10,000 USD donation, divided equally amongst each of the winning team member’s departments (or schools).
  PLEASE NOTE: If your school is a public educational institution, the amount allocated to you will be donated directly to your school and subject to Microsoft’s receipt of a gift letter signed by your school’s ethics officer, attorney, or designated executive/office responsible for your school’s gifts/ethics policy. Microsoft seeks to ensure that by making donations in promotional settings it does not create any violation of the letter or spirit of the customer's/entrant’s applicable gifts and ethics rules.
• A Windows Phone for each member of the team (ARV: $500).
  *Wireless carrier and wireless service not included. Activation terms and conditions are at the sole discretion of the phone manufacturer and wireless carrier.
• Winners who are interested in pursuing an internship with Microsoft will be contacted by a recruiter.

Second Place: A prize package that includes the following:

• $4,000 USD, to be divided equally among each member of the team.
• Winners who are interested in pursuing an internship with Microsoft will be contacted by a recruiter.

Third Place: A prize package that includes the following:

• $3,000 USD, to be divided equally among each member of the team.
• Winners who are interested in pursuing an internship with Microsoft will be contacted by a recruiter.

Fourth Place: A prize package that includes the following:

• $1,000 USD, to be divided equally among each member of the team.
• Winners who are interested in pursuing an internship with Microsoft will be contacted by a recruiter.