The mounting suspense of an eager audience was broken by the triumphant out-roar as a team of students from the University of Colombo School of Computing (UCSC) were proclaimed the proud winners of Imagine Cup Sri Lanka 2010. After an enthrallingly intense competition between 8 Teams from Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), UCSC, University of Moratuwa and University of Peradeniya, the Team: Collectivists, comprising of the 4th year students: Gayan Garusinghe, Sudam Liyanage, Chanaka Upendra and Hasini Adhikari, bagged the magnificent Challenge Trophy for the first time, taking it to its new destination: the University of Colombo.

The Winning team: Collectivists, proposed a software design solution called “Speak-Up” which offered a common networking platform for social workers around the world to communicate their efforts, needs and the requirements of silent victims to compassionate hearts who are willing to provide financial and material assistance. The system included a number of innovative features from direction of financial assistance, to provision of relevant logistics, forums and more.

This project was proposed in adherence to Imagine Cup 2010’s global theme which encouraged competitors “to imagine a world where technology helps solve some of the toughest problems”, reflecting along the United Nations 8 Millennium Development Goals.

Close behind the Collectivists, Team HELY from SLIIT emerged as the 1st Runners-Up whilst Team SAGGEZZA from the University of Moratuwa emerged as the 2nd Runners-Up. Team HELY presented a project named iSponsor aimed at combating the problem of Poverty by creating an environment where sponsors and beneficiaries would be able to interact and link up in a direct partnership. In contrast, Team SAGGEZZA proposed a solution to counter the same problem through its system: Ideal Lanka, a technology based platform for facilitating micro-investments in agriculture by directing funds from investors to required agro-bases.

Having offered fierce competition, Team JIIB from SLIIT, Team 4-Alliance from Moratuwa, Team SATURNIN from UCSC, Team Make-IT from Peradeniya and Team GREENBROS from UCSC emerged as the finalists.

Team GreenBros from UCSC Team Members: Nitish Kumar, Sahan Maldeniya and Charith Pathirana	Team JIIB from SLIIT Team Members: Janaka Bandara, Boominda Anushka, Iresh Bandara and Isuru Jayasooriya	Team MakeIT from University of Peradeniya Team Members: Rasika Bandara, Charitha Ranabahu, Mouly Gunarathne and Dhananjaya Dodanwela
Team Saturning from UCSC Team Members: Kalana Wijethunge, Chathika Gunaratne, Ajith Karunarathna and Lasantha Samarakoon	Team 4Alliance from University of Moratuwa Team Members: Madhusha Nanayakkara, Chanaka Herath, Madhuka Udantha and Mithila Karunarathna

For more details about the projects and teams please refer to http://imaginecup.lk/finalistdetails.aspx

This premier event, which was held on Thursday, 29th of April 2010 at the HNB Towers Auditorium, was attended by a number of students, faculty members, parents, members of the Industry and more, and was considered to be yet another successful execution of Imagine Cup, being hosted locally for the 6th consecutive time by Microsoft.

In high-spirits, the Winners from UCSC are now embarking on an extensive preparation as they get ready to represent Sri Lanka and present their ideas to the world at the Imagine Cup World finals which is scheduled to be held in Warsaw, Poland in July.