An innovative travel application submitted by Swedish computer science student Margaryta Skrypachova that allows end users to automatically let their social network know when they are running late to an important meeting, earned the twenty-two-yearold developer the grand prize in Alcatel-Lucent’s 100 Apps in 100 Days Challenge — $10,000 and a free trip to 2011 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. Her application was one of more than 160 contest entries submitted that mashed up web and network APIs (application programming interfaces) to create exciting potential commercial services in travel, healthcare, financial services, retail and media.
Named “Late Runner,” Skrypachova’s application showcases the power of Alcatel-Lucent’s Application Enablement vision, which combines the trusted capabilities of service providers with the speed and innovation of the Web to enable a new generation of services and provide both consumers and business users with richer mobile experiences. Leveraging SMS and location APIs, the application enables end users to manage their day-to-day interactions with friends, family and co-workers by letting them track their physical whereabouts, informing them when they will be late to appointments, and providing an estimated arrival time. Built-in privacy controls allow end users to manage who they want to share their information with.
In addition, developers of runners-up applications received an all expense paid trip to the 2011 South By Southwest Interactive in Austin, Texas, where they will demo their “game-changing” applications at the Alcatel-Lucent Developer’s Lounge. The applications include:
- “GPS Now” application leveraging the Google Map API to provide mobile end users spoken turn-by-turn directions from any cell phone, just like any GPS device.
- “Smart Redirect” application that ensures end-users never miss an important phone call by utilizing location API to intelligently route telephone calls to any number of preconfigured locations, including office phone, mobile phone and home phone.
- “SMS Geo Notify” application which uses SMS and location APIs to send mobile task reminders to end users when they near stores, friends, work and home.
- “Cheapee” application which utilizes SMS API to turn any mobile phone into a bar code scanner for store products to allow users to comparably price them against online retailers.
Alcatel-Lucent Issues Global Challenge
On September 1, Alcatel-Lucent challenged global developers of the TopCoder® Inc. community to build as many applications as possible in 100 days for the opportunity to win prizes totaling $165,000. Developers had to combine capabilities from both Programmable Web, the industry’s largest web API repository acquired by Alcatel-Lucent in June, and Alcatel-Lucent’s Open API Service, which aggregates network capabilities, such as SMS messaging, credit card billing, real time search, advertising, payment and more. Alcatel-Lucent also made tools from its OpenPlug acquisition in September available free to developers so they could easily compile application code that runs on iOS, Android, feature phones and the web.
When the challenge ended on December 10, a distinguished panel of industry judges from Connected Planet, ReadWriteWeb and Redmonk had the difficult task of judging application entries on the basis of API usage, appeal, implementation and functionality.
“The 100 Apps in 100 Days Challenge highlights the wide variety of innovative applications developers and service providers can build together, while also enabling developers to discover the unique value of the network as an application platform,” said Justin Tormey, Alcatel- Lucent’s Senior Manager of API Programs. “Alcatel-Lucent is encouraging developers to continue to refine and pursue a commercial launch for their submitted applications. The top judged submissions will gain additional exposure to service providers and industry leaders at the upcoming Mobile World Congress in February and South By Southwest Interactive in March.”
