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By Shabiya Ali Ahlam
Aspiring IT professionals will be presented with the opportunity to commercialise their startup ideas with the launch of a unique innovator competition.
Aimed at inspiring innovation and entrepreneurship in the IT sphere, the Vishwa Innovator Project will facilitate new ideas to take shape on a platform already built by a host organisation.
The project is the brainchild of IT Connect Managing Director Arjuna Samarakoon with the intention of providing a platform and support network for game-changing ideas in IT.
The competition is open to anyone between the ages of 18 to 40 having an original software, API, or application idea for commercial use.
Those interested must specify how they intend to turn their visions into reality by providing research and design specifications as well as a case for commercial application.
It is essential for the solution to be applicable to the US, Australian, and European market.
Funded and supported by IT Connect, a cutting edge global IT solutions and service provider, winners of the Vishwa Innovator Project will receive a sum of Rs. 1 million in addition to technical and marketing support, and access to expert advice from members of the independent judging panel.
In addition to Samarakoon, the judging panel includes top IT personalities such as creator of smartpayroll.co.nz, Phil Richard, BioSolar Managing Director/Founder Leigh Storr, and Fire Starter Founder/CEO Adam Hudson.
Speaking on the significance of the competition, Samarakoon at the launch stated that while many aspiring entrepreneur fail due to the fact that they lack the correct ingredients to succeed on their own, the old model of launching a start-up or new product encapsulated by phrase ‘build it and they will come’ is no longer valid.
He opined that any “would-be” entrepreneur must understand and identify the customer needs intimately and customise the product to suit that need.
“There is incredible It talent in Sri Lanka. I would say to the aspiring entrepreneurs to not rest on their laurels. It is imperative that they test their skills against a constant set of talented global innovators. More IT professionals are emerging out of China, Russia, Scandinavia, and Chile. They are chasing after work and it is important we make note of that,” said Samarakoon.
Given the experience and performance of IT Connect in the Australian markets over the past decade, Samarakoon expressed confidence in the organisation in providing a useful platform, such as the Vishwa Innovator Project, for Sri Lankan ideas to flourish in the global arena.
IT connect is an IT solutions and service provider, experienced in a wide range of industries, as well as market segments including finance, accounting, agriculture, eCommerce, and mobile. With capabilities in SharePoint, ASP.Net, C#.Net, JQuery My SQL, SQL Server, J Script and Xcode4, the company offers software development in all major development platforms.
For further information on the competition visit www.vishwaproject.lk.
