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Globe Telecom introduces Globe Labs, which is primarily tasked to bring in the latest information and communications technologies at the earliest market-relevant time to customers.
Globe Labs aims to immerse Globe and its different partners with future technologies to identify and develop applications across fixed and wireless networks that can be commercially introduced.
As a new department in Globe, it is designed to build future technology development test beds in a creative and secure environment. It establishes partnerships with developers to build and showcase these new applications. Also, Globe Labs provides technical support to mash-up new services using both old and new technologies.
"Globe Labs is focused on building market-relevant and easy-to-use applications and developing future business opportunities that will not only benefit customers but also the industry and the country as we find more ways to improve our technology landscape," said Fernando P. Teodoro, Innovations Development Division head at Globe.
"As our first effort in Globe Labs, we have just concluded our 3G Multimedia Challenge, which garnered a lot of attention from developers and schools. In this way, we also get to engage the Filipino skill and talent as local and young developers learn and get exposed to new technologies," he added.
The 3G Multimedia Challenge, launched early this year, encouraged developers to design, develop and deploy applications on Advanced VOIP, Group Games, File Sharing, Enterprise/Consumer IM and Calendaring, M-Learning, Whiteboard and Social Networking, using SIP/IMS (Session Initiation Protocol/IP Multimedia Subsystem). SIP/IMS delivers multimedia services including voice, pictures, text and video or any combination of these with existing services, creating converged multiple service offerings using any access network and device.
Globe Labs, together with Ericsson, its technology partner for the competition, awarded the winners last June 6. D3Systems, Inc. won the grand prize for its Whiteboarding application, Ateneo de Manila University's Department of Information Systems and Computer Science and the Ateneo Java Wireless Competency Center bagged 1st runner up for the M-Learning application, and eScience Corporation placed 2nd runner up for its Social Networking application.
The competition, open to individuals and teams with two to five members, required that the applications' user interface be in English or Tagalog and these be compatible with Sony Ericsson phones M600, P990i or P1i. Participants got to do live tests of their applications at Globe Labs facilities as these were to be demonstrated during the judging.
As part of the criteria, the winners were judged on completeness and quality - 40%, ease of use - 30%, overall appeal and attractiveness - 15%, and originality - 15%.
Finalists got P50,000 per team and the Best Team from the Educational Institution won P20,000. The 2nd runner up bagged P100,000 per team, the 1st runner up got P300,000 per team and the grand winner received P1,000,000 per team.
Other finalists were MegaMobile which designed a File Sharing application and Systema Computer Solutions Corp. that did an Enterprise/Consumer IM and Calendaring application. Ateneo's Department of Information Systems and Computer Science and the Ateneo Java Wireless Competency Center won the Best Team from the Educational Institution.
"The 3G Multimedia Challenge will soon be followed by another competition bigger in scale. We hope to replicate the success of this effort and engage more Filipino developers and young talents in our forthcoming project," Mr. Teodoro said.
To get more information and to sign-up as a partner of Globe Labs please visit www.globelabs.com.ph.
-- Tech Times Online
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