DiGi Challenge for Change rewards winners for bringing Malaysians together, one app at a time

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June 26, 2013
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DiGi Challenge for Change rewards winners for bringing Malaysians together, one app at a time

  • DiGi to promote winning apps to its customer base, including 5.7 million mobile internet subscribers
  • Social Blood Drive idea wins Prime Minister's Innovation Award
  • Telenor Group Award for best developer team to attend Digital Winners Conference in Norway

SHAH ALAM, 27 June 2013: DiGi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd ('DiGi') announced the winners of the fourth edition of its Challenge for Change (DGCFC) programme today, awarding over RM200,000 in prizes to ideators and application (app) developers for local community-centric mobile apps, built on the theme 'Bringing Malaysians together, One App At A Time'.

DiGi Challenge for Change is a competition to unearth innovative, community-centric ideas that are then developed into mobile applications. This programme was held in partnership with PEMANDU, Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC), Google Malaysia and Microsoft Malaysia.

YBhg Datuk Che Azemi Haron, Deputy Secretary General for Communication & Multimedia Ministry, who officiated the finale today said, "I believe the internet brings positive changes to Malaysians particularly in connecting relevant content, convenience and economic opportunities to Malaysians of all walks of life. Programmes like Challenge for Change help promote local content development, which is a key component in this value chain. I am pleased to see DiGi taking an active role in driving internet usage through mobile apps and nurturing an inclusive app ecosystem that encourages innovation."

Speaking at the event, DiGi's Chief Executive Officer Henrik Clausen commended the participants for their creative use of mobile internet and apps to bring communities together. "Mobile apps are a fitting platform to connect people and drive socio-economic opportunities, as more and more Malaysians first experience the internet on their mobile phones.

"Together with our partners, we are pleased to have worked with the local developer community to build mobile apps that meet the shared needs of Malaysians, are readily implementable, and encourage greater use of the internet and participation in the digital economy. This underscores our vision for Challenge for Change, and brings us a step closer in our mission to make Internet For All a reality for more Malaysians."

Since the launch last year, a total of 2,000 mobile app ideas were received in the ideation phase. Seven (7) winning ideas were then chosen and presented to the local developer community to be transformed into working mobile apps. 50 mobile apps were then received in the app development phase, seven (7) of which were announced as winners in their respective categories today, with each developer or team winning RM25,000 each (see factsheet for more information). Going forward, DiGi will support these winning apps by promoting them to its customer base, including 5.7 million mobile internet subscribers across various touch points.

The Prime Minister's Innovation Award was presented to Leow Aik Peng, 41 from Shah Alam, for the best overall app idea. Leow's Social Blood Drive idea was aimed at increasing the success of blood donation drives by connecting blood donors to hospitals and medical centres. His idea best represented the Challenge for Change philosophy of bringing communities together through the power of mobile internet for a greater good.

Over the past months, Leow had worked closely with participating developers by providing clear insight on his idea to the app development process. For this award, Leow received RM25,000.

DiGi also announced a Telenor Group Award for the best overall mobile app. This award was presented to the developers of the greeting app 'YO!', namely Muhammad Nazrin bin Almi, Shafwan bin Mohd Radzi and Muhammad Muhaimin bin Juhari. The team wins a trip to the Digital Winners Conference in Oslo, Norway in November 2013, and the opportunity to meet global industry experts, learn new development skills and gain new insights on trends relevant to digital services and mobile application development. DiGi is an affiliate of Telenor Group, one of the world's major providers of mobile communications.

For more information on DiGi Challenge for Change, visit: www.dgcfc.com.my