To highlight our Reinventing Voice theme, Sylantro and The Thomas Howe Company are proud to announce a Telephony Mashup Contest as part of the Sylantro Global Summit 2007. This new contest provides a stage for developers to demonstrate their creative skills using emerging telephony technologies such as PBX, IVR, VoIP and Web Service APIs.

Sylantro Global Summit 2007 attendees include CTO/CEOs of the world’s top phone companies (ILECs, PTTs, IXCs, CLECs) and other service providers. The finalists will have the opportunity to pitch their ideas to an audience of companies with hundreds of millions of customers. The winner will be chosen by a panel of senior executive judges among the contest sponsors.

A telephony mashup is a voice, Web or mobile application (PBX, IVR, VoIP, SMS, etc.) that combines content from more than one source to create a new user experience. Qualifying entries must demonstrate how an application can use one or more sources of content in an inventive way to benefit users AND support a business model.

Any tool or platform that involves content (see Voxeo, Amazon Web Services or ProgrammableWeb.com) and telephony (ex: VOIP, SMS, Text Messaging, PBX, IVR) can be used to create a mashup. This is new territory, so there is plenty of room to use your imagination!

The first round of the contest is open to all developers. We encourage individuals or teams to identify themselves and register by September 7th so that questions can be answered early in the process and some orientation can be provided on the Sylantro APIs. Mashup submissions must be submitted by September 20th when finalists will be chosen. The contest is timed to conclude on the final day of the Sylantro Global Summit held September 30th through October 2nd where finalists will demonstrate their mashups at the conference.

Finalists will be judged with a 50/50 weight based on presentation of technology and a business use case. Applicants must use the Sylantro API. Use of other suggested API’s including Voxeo, Amazon Web Services, and OutboundMessaging.com are optional. Here are links to more information about the APIs. Applicants must make a case that their application makes businesses faster, more efficient, or create happier customers.

Registering for the contest and submitting your mashup:

1. Register yourself and your team to the contest organizers by emailing contest@sylantro.com by September 7th with the subject “Mashup Contest Registration”. More communication will follow after that.
2. Research the tools, services and APIs below (note: all offer free trials).
3. Come up with an idea and build your telephony mashup.
4. Submit your mashup to contest@sylantro.com by September 20th with the subject “Mashup Contest Entry”.
5. Top 3 Mashups will be presented at the Sylantro Global Summit.

If you would like to find out more, send an email to contest@sylantro.com with the subject “Contest Info”. For more details on the contest rules and how to submit your entries see “Contest Overview” below.

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SPONSORS

Sylantro: Reinventing Voice

The Thomas Howe Company: Empowering business with real time communications solutions.

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ADDITIONAL TOOLS, SERVICES AND APIS

Amazon Web Services – Menu of web services tools

Voxeo – IVR and VOIP software and services

Mashery – API infrastructure source

Programmable Web – Catalog of APIs for mashups

We greatly appreciate the support of these companies and their developer communities. Other APIs may be used.

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CONTEST OVERVIEW

Welcome to the Sylantro Telephony Mashup Contest. This overview sets forth the rules and regulations of the Telephony Mashup Contest (the “Contest”) presented by Sylantro and The Thomas Howe Company, collectively known as the “Sponsors”. Please read these Official Rules carefully before submitting an entry or participating in the Contest. These Official Rules contain important information about eligibility to enter the Contest, the rules of the Contest and other important information. Please note that the rules for playing the game in the Contest are contained in the “Contest Rules” incorporated herein by this reference. By entering the Contest, you accept these Official Rules and agree to be bound by their terms. If you do not agree with these Official Rules, please do not enter the Contest.

1. Eligibility. The Contest is open only to residents of any State of the United States of America (other than Arizona, Vermont, Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland and North Dakota), the District of Columbia and any Province of Canada (other than Quebec) that are 18 years of age or older as of Sept 20, 2007, and who properly enter the Contest (each a “Developer”). Developers may be required to show proof of age and residence. IF YOU DO NOT SATISFY THESE REQUIREMENTS, YOU ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO ENTER AND/OR PARTICIPATE IN THE CONTEST. Participation in the Contest is also subject to compliance with the requirements specified below and in the Contest Rules. Employees of any Sponsors, and their immediate families (parent, child, sibling and spouses of each) are not eligible to enter the Contest. The Contest is void where prohibited by applicable law.
2. Contest Period. The Contest shall commence on August 21, 2007 (“Day 1”), and end on September 20, 2007 (“Day 2”). Day 1 and Day 2 are, collectively, the “Contest Period”
3. How to Register and Submit to the Contest. Primary Developers. The Team Captain (as defined in the Contest Rules) will register by sending an email request to contest@sylantro.com including the members of the developer team. Up to 5 Developers (including the Team Captain) may register for each Team (each a “Primary Developer”) submitting your email with the subject “Mashup Contest Registration”. Teams are encouraged to indentify themselves and register no later than September 7th at 5:00 pm (Pacific). Mashup submissions need to be completed no later than September 20th at 5:00pm. (Pacific), by sending information about the application in an email to contest@sylantro.comwith the subject “Mashup Contest Entry”.
4. Fees & Refunds. There is no fee (the “Fee”) to participate in the Contest. Any costs incurred and associated with travel to the Host Location are the responsibility of the Team/Developers.
5. Contest. The Contest Rules specify the rules of play for the Contest. As specified in the Contest Rules, at the end of the Registration, the Judges will rank the entries and the top three placing Teams will be invited to participate in the Contest Finale demonstrating their application during the Sylantro Global Summit conference. Contest winners will be chosen by the judges of the Sylantro Global Summit after a presentation to the audience during a general session. Individuals or Teams are responsible for any travel or other expenses incurred to participate in the contest.
6. Use of Information. Each Player consents to use of their name, information and image by Sponsors, their agents and assignees and Host Locations for display and publishing in any media, now known or hereafter developed, without compensation, in any and all advertising and promotional materials relating to the Contest, and in conjunction with other promotions that may be offered by Sponsors and Host Locations. The information collected to enter the Contest will be used to contact each Winner. Additionally, each Player agrees that Sponsors and their agents and assignees as well as Host Locations may use this information for marketing purposes and to contact Players regarding offers, promotions and other contests related to products or services distributed by Sponsors.
7. General Release. Sponsors and all participating sponsors will not be responsible for: (a) technical failures of any kind, including, but not limited to telephone, electronic, hardware, software, network, Internet, or any other computer and communications related malfunctions or failures; (b) any Contest disruptions, injuries, losses or damages caused by events beyond the control of Sponsors; (c) any technical or human error such as printing or typographical or administrative errors in any materials associated with the Contest.
8. Other Terms. To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Contest and these Official Rules will be governed, construed and interpreted under the laws of the state of California, USA. These Official Rules are subject to any requirements/limitations imposed by the Federal Communications Commission. The Contest is subject to applicable Federal, State, Provincial and local laws and regulations. Players agree to be bound by these Official Rules and by the decisions of the Sponsors, which are final and binding in all respects. Sponsors reserve the right to cancel, suspend and/or modify the Contest, or any part of the Contest, if any fraud, technical failures or any other factor beyond Sponsors’ reasonable control affect the administration, security or proper play of the Contest or Sponsors otherwise become (as determined in their sole discretion) incapable of running the Contest as planned. Sponsors reserve the right, in their sole discretion, to disqualify any individual found to be tampering with the registration process or the operation of the Contest or to be acting in violation of these Official Rules or any other promotion, or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner. Sponsors’ failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.
9. Sponsors. The Contest is sponsored by Sylantro Systems Corp. and The Thomas Howe Company.

Posted by Thomas Howe @ 2:23 pm | Filed Under News |

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