Microsoft Kicks Off WOWZAPP Hackathon for Windows

Microsoft Corp. kicked off WOWZAPP 2012: Worldwide Hackathon for Windows on Friday, Nov. 9.

It is said to be the first simultaneous global hackathon for students, startups and professional developers in the company’s history.

Following the recent Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 launches, more than 100 locations across five continents will hold weekend-long hackathons for students and other participants to create apps for the Windows ecosystem.

Participants in the United States, India, Finland, Pakistan, Greece, Malaysia, Turkey, Brazil and many other countries will work together for 48 hours, creating Windows Store apps for consumers to enjoy.

The idea is to build momentum around the release of Windows 8, which saw sales of more than 4 million upgrades in the three days following its launch on Oct. 26, according to Microsoft.

The U.S. locations include Austin, Texas; Ann Arbor, Mich.; Redmond, Wash.; and more than 20 others. A complete list of participating locations is posted at http://www.WOWZAPP2012.com.

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Microsoft will provide students at each hackathon location with free software to create apps, such as Visual Studio Express for Windows 8, and with free Windows Store registration codes through Microsoft DreamSpark.

Developer experts and trainers will be available around the clock to answer questions, and Microsoft executives will be on hand at many locations to discuss what it takes to build apps for the Windows ecosystem.

Students can also choose to enter the apps they create in Microsoft’s annual technology competition, Imagine Cup, where they will be eligible to compete for a total of $300,000 in prize money.

Photo courtesy: Microsoft