IBM Kicks-off Worldwide Collegiate Computer Contest
Talented Young Programmers Battle, IBM Looks for Recruits
Somers, N.Y (October 23, 1998) – Tomorrow, IBM begins its second year of sponsorship of the ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest with competitions throughout North America. In its first year, IBM helped expand the elite competition into several Asian and Latin American countries. This year, the company will expand its recruiting efforts as well — to get a first look at the best and brightest in the world.
Nearly 4,000 of the world’s top computer science and engineering students from 26 regions of the world, will compete over the next three months in a race to solve intricate, real-world problems. The contest culminates with the World Finals on April 8, 1999 in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. The winning team will walk away with bragging rights, scholarships and the “smartest trophy in the world.”
This event takes on added importance amid the heated competition for top high-tech talent. Industry officials point out that many vacancies are for jobs requiring proficiency in Java and other object-oriented languages. For this reason, IBM officials have incorporated Java into the World Finals of the ACM competition and expect to make it a central theme as they continue sponsorship.
“We see this as a global recruiting opportunity for IBM, a way to showcase our technology, and attract more students to the industry,” said John Swainson, general manager of application development solutions at IBM. “These students are not just programmers, but innovators, problem solvers and endurance athletes as well. The contest has become a virtual pool of international intelligence and talent.”
Established in 1970, the ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest is the oldest and largest programming competition for students of the world’s universities and colleges. Working in three-person teams, students rely on their programming skills and creativity in building new programs to solve problems in the five-hour battle of logic, strategy and mental endurance.
“This contest is a microcosm of what the industry needs — programmers who are able to solve problems logically and work together in teams,” said Bill Poucher, director, ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest and professor of computer science at Baylor University. “It’s also a great opportunity for students to ‘network,’ realizing their paths may cross professionally.”
Source: IBM