Jamaica's software design team from Northern Caribbean University (NCU), in the aftermath of the Imagine Cup Competition held in South Korea, is now among the top three software design teams in the world.

One of only six teams to reach the final round of the Imagine Cup Competition, which was held on Thursday, Jamaica placed third after Thailand and Korea (first and second, respectively). Ireland, Austria and Serbia were theother three teams to reach the championship round.

NCU teammates Damion Mitchell, 25; Ayson Baxter, 22; Conroy Smith, 22; and Imran Allie, 21, all members of NCU's Department of Computer and Information Sciences, received a cash prize of US$10,000, as well as individual trophies. The team was also given an invitation to the Imagine Cup Innovation Accelerator, which is jointly run by Microsoft and British Telecom, to be held at the Microsoft Innovation Centre.

E-Learning solution

Jamaica's entry in the Imagine Cup Competition was a software programme called CADI (Computer-Aided Distance Instruction), an interactive classroom software programme that performs translations using 12 languages and supports long-distance education from any site or location that has steady Internet access. The team's Imagine Cup website describes CADI as "an innovative e-learning solution which will enhance the delivery of education and extend the learning experience beyond the confines of a physical classroom."

The team is expected to return home on Saturday, following a final showcase of the different software programmes and a farewell party for the competitors.

Originally started in 2002 by computer software giant Microsoft, the Imagine Cup Competition was created to encourage technology-minded students to focus their creativity on finding solutions to real-world problems. Held annually in different countries and with different technology-related themes, the theme for this year's competition was education, under the slogan 'Imagine a world where technology enables a better education for all.'

Note: Thailand was incorrectly identified as Taiwan on A2 of yesterday's Gleaner.