Brother’s third-annual Hackathon Goes Virtual in midst of new economy, bringing together app developers from Washington State and beyond
BRIDGEWATER, NEW JERSEY -- May 27, 2020 -- The third-annual hackathon by Brother International Corporation and subsidiary Brother Mobile Solutions attracted 40 designers and developers competing in 26 teams over the course of several weeks in April and May, culminating in a resoundingly successful main virtual event May 15-16. The winning team received the grand prize of $5,000 for spurring innovation in software application development for Brother’s printing, scanning and labeling solutions.
Following 2019’s successful Hackathon in Dallas, this year, for the first time ever, the hackathon was virtual amid ongoing social-distancing requirements. Interest was as strong as ever, as applications to participate in the virtual hackathon had to be capped due to capacity limitations.
In keeping with global events, competitors were challenged to build apps to promote health and social good. For example, preceding the main hackathon, contestants could participate in three mini-hackathons:
- Mini-hackathon challenge #1: Build a gift card app for small businesses that allows them to sell gift cards to generate revenue during these challenging times.
- Mini-hackathon challenge #2: Build a signage app for essential businesses that prints instant signs, which will help inform employees and customers of the latest local health mandates.
- Mini-hackathon challenge #3: Build a social good app to help seniors and persons with disabilities who live in local nursing homes.