Software Competition

Droege Computing Services announces the fourth annual Developers Competition and Conference. Contestants in the 1994 competition will compete for gold medals in four categories: GUI/MultiMedia, Object Oriented, Client/Server, and Rapid Application Development.

The conference/competition is planned for October 6-8th in Durham, North Carolina, home of the Research Triangle Park. The 1994 Developers Competition and Conference is the largest competition of its kind, and is expected to draw 120 teams from around the world. The 1993 Competition drew 87 teams from six different countries.

The competition requires the contestants to develop a typical database application based on specifications detailing a real-life problem. A worthy organization that needs a software product is chosen each year as the client. This year the 1994 Developers Competition has selected Habitat for Humanity for the Triangle as the subject for the competition. In addition to building a needed software program for Habitat, the software developers will serve as volunteers and help to build most of a house over the two day conference.  

Habitat for Humanity is an ecumenical housing ministry that seeks to eliminate poverty-level housing from the world and make decent housing a matter of conscience and action. By providing opportunities for volunteers from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds to work together with families in need of housing, Habitat builds partnerships and a sense of community as well as houses.

Previous clients have included a Child Protection Team, the Duke Primate Center, and the American Dance Festival. Each system is currently being used by the clients as originally designed. The applications will be judged by industry experts and the winner will receive $5,000. In addition, $500,000 of software products will be distributed among the contestants.

On September 23, 1994 the specifications for the application will be emailed to the contestants. The contestants will have two weeks to develop their software program. On the date of the competition, October 7th, the contestants will receive changed specifications, reporting requirements, and the judging script. The rest of the day, the contestants will scurry to finish their program and prepare for judging.

Joining Droege Computing Services this year is Advisor Publications, publisher of Access Advisor, dBASE Advisor, Clipper Advisor, FoxPro Advisor, and Data Based Advisor. They will be providing 38 sessions on database application development topics, including:

   Windows Development
   Interface Design
   Object-orientation
   Team Development
   Client/Server Development
   Case Studies
   Understanding APIs
   Database Design
   Xbase Development
   New Product Introductions
   Product Directions

The competition's Internet sponsor this year is NandO.Net, the online service of The News & Observer Publishing Company. In the next few weeks NandO.Net will be posting further information on the World Wide Web at

  http://www.nando.net/

A zipped PC file of information can be downloaded by anonymous FTP from from the /pub/droege directory at ftp.nando.net:

  ftp://merlin.nando.net/pub/droege/dcmp94.zip

Mac and UNIX versions of the information will be made available shortly.

CompuServe is sponsoring an on-line version of the competition and is also providing information on-line. -- send an e-mail message to 71333,3015.

Contact:            Droege Computing Services
                    1816 Front Street, Suite 130
                    Durham, NC   27705
                    Email: 71333.3015_at_CompuServe.COM
		    Voice: (919) 383-9749
                    Fax:   (919) 382-7422