WACO, Texas, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- 399 of the most
elite computer programmers from six continents will battle it out
in Rapid City, South Dakota on
May 24 in the 41st Annual
ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) World
Finals sponsored by IBM (NYSE: IBM) and hosted by Excellence
in Computer Programming. During their time on-site, these top
software engineers will interact with advanced technologies in
cloud, cognitive computing and more.
Headquartered at Baylor University and known as the "Battle of
the Brains," the world's oldest, largest, and most prestigious
programming contest fosters creativity, teamwork and innovation in
building new software programs. Huddled around a single computer,
133 teams of three students race against the clock to solve a
series of complex real-world problems in just five hours.
"Over the last four decades, the ACM-ICPC has grown from a
rivalry among the universities of Texas to a worldwide, multi-tiered
competition," said Dr. Bill Poucher,
ICPC Executive Director and Baylor
University Professor. "We're excited to see this exceptional
group of students test their creativity and technical expertise at
this year's competition with IBM celebrating its 20th
year as event sponsor and Excellence in Computer Programming as
host."
In addition to competing in the World Finals, students will be
exposed to the latest open technologies influencing cloud, mobile,
IoT and artificial intelligence. IBM technologists will be on-site
to discuss and exhibit the power of these open technologies through
engaging, interactive talks and demonstrations.
The participants will also have the opportunity to meet with
current IBM professionals to learn about industry trends and
professional opportunities.
"As lead sponsor, IBM's goal is to celebrate the achievements of
these top programming students, expose them to the next generation
of technological trends such as cloud and cognitive intelligence
and encourage them as they pursue careers in programming," said
Jonas Jacobi, ACM-ICPC Sponsorship
Executive and Vice President, IBM Developer Advocacy, Worldwide.
"As cloud and other advanced technologies transform the way
businesses around the globe operate, the future is truly in the
hands of talented developers, like these contestants."
The World Finalists emerged from local and regional ICPC
competitions this past fall. Initially, selection took place from a
field of more than 300,000 students in computing disciplines
worldwide. A record number of students advanced to the regional
level, as 46,381 contestants from 2,948 universities in 103
countries on six continents competed at more than 480 sites, all
with the goal of earning one of the coveted invitations to
South Dakota.
"We congratulate all of the ICPC finalists and are looking
forward to hosting this incredible event," said Dr. Richard Gowan, President, Excellence in Computer
Programming, Inc. "We thank ACM-ICPC for choosing Rapid City and IBM for their support in the
organization of this unique and wonderful competition."
The contest will begin at 9:00
a.m. local time in Rapid
City on May 24. A live
broadcast will air on ICPCLive.com and live contest standings will
be available on MyICPC.ICPCNews.com.
Media Contact:
Courtney
Thomas, Tierney Communications
+1 (215) 790-4388
cthomas@tierneyagency.com
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SOURCE IBM