RIYADH — Nokia and Microsoft have expedited Saudi applicants to meet today's (Saturday) deadline for its the first and the region's biggest ever student app development competition in the region dubbed “Midnight Developer Challenge”. The competition draws hundreds of student participants from over 25 countries, is aimed at providing students with exposure and training in the latest mobile and app development technologies. Joe Devassy, Head of Developer Experience, Nokia IMEA, said the competition is an opportunity for students to get real life experience in designing, developing and distributing a mobile app for consumers in an emerging app economy. “We designed this competition to maximize the learning process of this entrepreneurial journey – that is, how to go from an abstract idea to a fully-developed Windows Phone 8 app available to millions of consumers worldwide,” he said. Amintas Lopes Neto, Academia and Startups Lead, Microsoft MEA, pointed out that this initiative, which empowers young local talent with world-class opportunities to develop and learn about the latest advances in mobile app technology. Over the next three months, students who have registered for the competition will receive advanced technical training and coding sessions with Nokia and Microsoft software experts through weekly webinars and dedicated online support to help them conceptualize their ideas. The contest is divided into two categories - Apps and Games. Each category will have a winner and a runners-up prize. The winning team will walk away with $10,000, a trip to a Nokia Global event, plus an XBOX and Lumia 920 for each team member. The runner-up team will receive $5,000, an XBOX and a Lumia 920 for each team member. There will be a People's Choice category, where the winner will receive $3,000 plus an XBOX and a Lumia 920 for each team member. Participants in “The Midnight Developer Challenge” have the opportunity to participate in the Microsoft Imagine Cup 2013 Windows Phone Challenge – a high level global Window Phone app development contest organized by Microsoft.
