‘X-Challenge’ winner to get P1 M

Want to be a millionaire? Then be a computer programmer.

Microsoft Phils.. is offering a P1-million top prize to the programmer who will win its "X-Challenge," a nationwide contest on Extensible Markup Language or XML.

With partners Navigasia.com and Vitro – the Internet datacenter of telecom giant Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. – Microsoft is holding the contest for six months. It began accepting contestants last May 2 and it will hold its no-rank trials and qualifying round until July 31.

Contestants only have to pay a P800 registration fee. They will receive a CD pack of Microsoft’s .Net developer tools which include the Visual Studio, Windows 2000 server edition and SQL 2000. They will also get Internet access all throughout the contest.

Microsoft officials said the competition is open to all programmers, students and Webmasters adept with XML. There is no age or academic requirement.

"Contestants will be grouped into teams of five members each," said Richard Lozada, head of Microsoft’s e-commerce division. "Each team should have at least 70-percent Filipino membership."

Aside from the P1-million top prize, the winners will receive X-Box gaming consoles developed by Microsoft.

Lozada said they chose XML to level the playing field among the contestants.

"Anyone, regardless of age, background or attainment, can utilize XML’s strengths. The X-Challenge will showcase the best that XML can do like datawarehousing and document management. The prizes will be both incentive and reward to participants, especially the XML developer community in the country, to present their skills," he said.

Interested XML programmers can visit the contest’s website at www.microsoft.com/philippines/xchallenge for details.

Microsoft on TV

Meanwhile, the world’s biggest software maker is now on Philippine television through its Microsoft Channel.

Now running on test broadcast over Destiny Cable’s Channel 30, the Microsoft Channel aims to provide software developers, IT professionals, students and teachers with how-to’s on the development, implementation and deployment of Microsoft technologies.

The channel’s programming content ranges from the basic sessions to technical discussions of software design techniques as well as cost-effective processes in the rollout and maintenance of software applications.

Microsoft Phils. marketing chief Mark Yambot said the channel will extend the company’s reach to software developers, many of whom have already undergone training through its free seminars.

"We think there is a huge segment of IT people out there whose busy schedules don’t permit them to attend our seminars. These people would appreciate viewing these seminars at their own time and in the comfort of their own homes," he said.

Beda Mañalac, vice president of Solid Group Inc., the company that owns Destiny, said they will evaluate the Microsoft Channel and expand its line-up of on-air tutorials as the need arises.

Destiny offers not only cable TV but also Internet on cable and online gaming through its broadband network. Mañalac said they aim to provide more compelling content and multi-player gaming entertainment in the future. — Junep Ocampo