<div>Dear Jacques,</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Thanks for the probing question. I acknowledge that Microsoft is currently a relatively small player in the mobile apps space and that the track may not appeal to some potential participants. Let me give you a little bit of background information on the competition.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Our intention with the student competition is to provide students with an opportunity to showcase their skills and abilities. We are also cognizant of the diversity of skills/knowledge across the discipline, programs/curriculum, and individual students. The competition seeks to have multiple tracks to reflect these different skill sets/knowledge areas while also promoting broad participation. In early discussion of a student competition it was decided that a virtual competition followed by an onsite competition for top performers from the virtual competition would enable broader participation. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>As I'm sure you know, this is the inaugural year of the competition. It is our hope that the competition process will be relatively open and transparent. At the beginning of September a 'Call For Track Proposals' went out to AIS student chapter presidents and faculty advisors and also to the AISWorld mailing list soliciting ideas for competition tracks. Competition tracks were selected based on content areas and also on an individual's/organization's willingness to chair the track, develop the material, evaluate the entries, and handle other aspects of the competition. In the case of this specific track, Microsoft was willing to step up and help including providing access to software and even some potential training. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>We hope to further refine and improve the student competition each year including additional content areas and would like to invite anyone interested to submit potential tracks in the future.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Best,</div>
<div>Tom<br></div>
<div>
<div><span>___________________________________________________________ <br></span><span>Thomas Meservy</span></div>
<div><span>Assistant Professor of MIS and<br>FedEx Institute of Technology STEP Research Fellow<br>University of Memphis<br></span><span>Memphis, TN 38152</span></div>
<div><span>___________________________________________________________</span></div>
<div><span></span> </div></div>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Nov 8, 2011 at 12:32 AM, Jacques Steyn <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:jacques@steyn.pro">jacques@steyn.pro</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote style="BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; PADDING-LEFT: 1ex" class="gmail_quote">
<div text="#000000" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">Dear Tom<br>Why is this competition targeting a specific mobile phone operating system, and not open-ended, especially given that Windows-based mobile phones is worldwide totally insignificant. For statistic of earlier this year, see <a href="http://www.readwriteweb.com/mobile/2011/02/mobile-operating-system-market-share-feb-2011-infographic.php" target="_blank">http://www.readwriteweb.com/mobile/2011/02/mobile-operating-system-market-share-feb-2011-infographic.php</a><br>
and in the USA less than 6% of the marker - <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57319697-93/android-samsung-top-u.s-mobile-phone-market/" target="_blank">http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57319697-93/android-samsung-top-u.s-mobile-phone-market/</a><br>
<br>One would think that AIS would promote addressing conceptual development rather than promoting some also-runs in the mobile environment. By reducing the focus to one small player, the scope for global student participation is minimized. Development for mobile phones is made difficult by having to develop separately not only for each OS, but even for each version of OS's, as even within the same stable there are conflicts between that need to be addressed programmatically. <br>
<br>Regards<br>Jacques
<div>
<div class="h5"><br><br><br>On 11/7/2011 11:44 PM, Tom Meservy wrote: </div></div>
<blockquote type="cite">
<div>
<div class="h5">
<p><span>Do you want your students to have the chance to demonstrate what they’ve learned thus far and gain world-wide recognition in the process? The AIS Student Chapter Competition is the perfect opportunity! The Competition is focused specifically on Information Systems and divided into four tracks. Competition within each track is divided into two main phases: 1) an initial virtual component that any student/team can participate in and 2) an onsite, face-to-face student competition for the top teams in each track from the virtual competition. Download information on the tracks below: </span></p>
<p><span>·<span> </span></span> <b><span>Data and Information Management (</span></b><a href="http://warp.byu.edu/wp-uploads/asm.byu.edu/2011/08/2011-2012-AIS-Competition-IT-Risk-Management-Case-Competition.pdf" target="_blank">Track Guidelines</a>, <a href="http://warp.byu.edu/wp-uploads/asm.byu.edu/2011/08/2011-2012-AIS-Competition-IT-Risk-Management-Case-Competition-Case.pdf" target="_blank">Case Study</a><b><span>)</span></b></p>
<p><span>·<span> </span></span> <b><span>Mobile Application Development (</span></b><a href="http://warp.byu.edu/wp-uploads/asm.byu.edu/2011/08/2011-2012-AIS-Competition-Mobile-Application-Development.pdf" target="_blank">Track Guidelines</a>, <a href="http://warp.byu.edu/wp-uploads/asm.byu.edu/2011/08/2011-2012-AIS-Competition-Mobile-Application-Development-Getting-Started.pdf" target="_blank">Getting Started</a><b><span>)</span></b></p>
<p><span>·<span> </span></span> <b><span>Social Media Strategy (</span></b><a href="http://warp.byu.edu/wp-uploads/asm.byu.edu/2011/08/2011-2012-AIS-Competition-SMO-Track.pdf" target="_blank">Track Guidelines</a><b><span>)</span></b></p>
<p><span>·<span> </span></span> <b><span>Video Competition (</span></b><a href="http://warp.byu.edu/wp-uploads/asm.byu.edu/2011/08/2011-2012-AIS-Competition-Video-Track.pdf" target="_blank">Track Guidelines</a><b><span>)</span></b></p>
<p><span><br>This is a great opportunity to gain recognition for your students and department on a global level. For more information, visit the <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=msqymncab&et=1108081297408&s=1&e=001ejvyLkCF2dWdVdQ9Sw2NdLVtOIqwic012ihN66IrRoa_hmZKCK2Hiw-PDtt-OuzOibagUp-u3vJN6D4KFQb0uJLoK_eu81KrrZfwmsz9Ty7TRkpuJrU3vMmgsXHynXzI" target="_blank">Competitions Page</a>, deadline to submit is January 1<sup>st</sup>.</span></p>
<p><span><br></span></p>
<div><span>___________________________________________________________ <br></span><span>Thomas Meservy</span></div>
<div><span>Assistant Professor of MIS and<br>FedEx Institute of Technology STEP Research Fellow<br>University of Memphis<br></span><span>Memphis, TN 38152</span></div>
<div><span>___________________________________________________________</span></div><br>
<fieldset></fieldset> <br></div></div><pre>_______________________________________________
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___________________________
Jacques Steyn PhD, HED
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</pre></div></blockquote></div><br>