Bangkok--28 Feb--dtac
dtac kicked off the dtac Accelerate campaign with the launch of mobile application competition under the theme ‘Wizard of App’ to give Thai top talents the shortcut to invaluable learning and working experience with world-class technology innovators and opportunity to present their project to venture capitalists at Silicon Valley, the world’s renowned city of high tech industry, along with other rewards worth totally Bt 50 million. Pakorn Pannachet, Senior Vice President — Market Division, Total Access Communication PLC. (dtac) said that “dtac is widely known as innovation leader and we focus on adopting the best telecom technology as well as expanding business to mobile content and application with aim to build a comprehensive application ecosystem. To achieve such ambition, we are building relationship with Thai application developers in order to bring new compelling mobile applications to delight our customers. We recently welcomed Khun Krating-Ruangroj Poonpol who joins us as chief of product division and takes care of application ecosystem project.”
According to Krating-Ruangroj Poonpol, Senior Vice President — Products Division, dtac, “we believe in potential of Thai people and the dtac Accelerate program is initiated with aim to motivate Thai developers to create innovation and new application as well as encourage Thai people to take active part in technology revolution. The program is a brand-new platform of learning and showcasing Thai talents on international arena. From my working experience at Silicon Valley, I would say that it is the center of technology innovations that change the world as well as the birthplace of many world famous technology firms, but not everyone can make it there. Today, dtac brings that very rare opportunity to Thai talents who are bold enough to do things differently while keeping their feet on realistic ground. This program simply serves as a shortcut for Thai developers to Silicon Valley where they can realize their big dream in global platform.”
Silicon Valley is the world center of technology and high tech industry located in San Francisco, California, USA. Dubbed as the city of miracle, it is where ideas, dreams, technologies and business integrate and turn out to be the world’s phenomena. It is the birthplace of many world famous companies like Google, Youtube, Apple, HP, Cisco, Instagram, etc.
At Silicon Valley, Ruangroj worked at Google and one of the Google Earth development team. He was also one of the founders of a technology startup who managed to mobilize capital of US$ 1.1 million from angel investors. He will bring along his 7-year experience at Silicon Valley to share to developer teams who participate dtac Accelerate program within a period of less than one year.
The first activity of the dtac Accelerate program is mobile application competition under the theme ‘Wizard of App’ to seek top application developers to join world-class learning and working experience at Silicon Valley. Apart from being key person behind the program, Ruangroj also takes lead in coordination with various firms at Silicon Valley to help endorse the program and managed to obtain support from world-class partners like Blackbox Connect, one of the world’s top start-up accelerators.
The winning developer team in the dtac Accelerate program will join Blackbox Connect Accelerate program at Silicon Valley as one of twelve teams from around the world and have chance to present their project to venture capitalists, a rare opportunity in today’s business world where there are plenty of technology development firms in the market and the competition is fierce. Runner-up teams will join regional Accelerate program. The total value of prizes in the dtac Accelerate program is over Bt 50 million.
The dtac Accelerate mobile application competition is open for team of developer of not over 5 persons. Applying teams are required to submit their proposal within 30 April 2013. All the applying projects will be shortlisted to 30 and to be announced in May 2012. The 30 shortlisted teams will participate coaching workshop by world-class technology developing teams during May and June 2013. The selected 10 finalists will enter actual production process and the winning team will be chosen in September 2012.
Mobile application contest is only the beginning of shortcut to the success dtac offers. More and more inspiring projects under the dtac Accelerate program will continue to follow in due course.