Forum Nokia is proud to announce Calling All Innovators, a global contest for developers to create mobile applications that will help to better society. 

Calling All Innovators challenges developers to think big about the opportunity to impact the quality of human life with mobile applications. Nokia will award up to USD 150,000 in cash and prizes, in addition to helping the winning developers distribute their mobile applications.

Dean Kamen, the global technology pioneer best known for inventing the Segway PT and for founding FIRST, (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), an organization which inspires high school students worldwide to study science and technology, has endorsed Calling All Innovators.

“For over 15 years, I’ve been focused on sparking the curiosity of up-and-coming inventors, especially kids, by showing them that science, technology and problem solving is rewarding, and important," said Kamen. “Now that mobile devices are becoming as powerful as personal computers and more ubiquitous, challenging mobile developers and young inventors to develop the right applications can take the device simply known as a cellular phone and transform it into a catalyst to help society in many different ways.”

Nokia and Kamen share the belief that technology can be a key driver of significant social and environmental change, particularly in emerging economies, where conflicts over scarce resources often impede the potential for human development. Kamen, who has been actively engaged in global social programs and was awarded the 2006 Global Humanitarian Action Award by the United Nations, has said, “We know 50 percent of all the diseases you could name, would be wiped out if people had access to clean water.” Nokia and Kamen challenge developers participating in Calling All Innovators to think about the possibilities. What if a mobile device could test the potability of water, or enable people in remote villages to access, manage or distribute scarce resources such as electricity or water?

“With Nokia’s belief in social responsibility, we support Dean Kamen’s relentless pursuit to help the world through the use of technology,” said Tom Libretto, Vice President, Forum Nokia, “Calling All Innovators is not just about making mobile applications that could help society; it’s about developing mobile applications that will help society. 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?”

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: Make a difference by submitting an application that will work 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 of millions 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. From a single-purpose application to completely community driven, this developer’s showdown will help open consumers' minds about what an application can do.    

First place winners in each category will receive USD 25,000, 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 USD 10,000 and third place winners will receive USD 5,000.

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.

Sourced From: Text 100 Public Relations Consultancy