Microsoft announces Imagine Cup 2006 winners

Winners: Microsoft Corp. announced the winners of Imagine Cup 2006, after a week of intense competition among finalists chosen from a pool of more than 65,000 students from over 100 countries.

Giorgio Sardo, Massimo Paternoster, Silvia Perrone and Andrea Sossich from Team Evenator from Polytechnic of Turin, Italy, celebrated their first-place finish in the worldwide Software Design Invitational and were awarded a $25,000 cash prize.

The Imagine Cup Microsoft's premier competition for technology students, provides a forum to encourage creative and technological innovations among university students worldwide.

"These projects demonstrate the power of software to address real-world problems, impressed by the high levels of technical innovation that these students achieved in their work", said Bill Gates. "This year's Imagine Cup participants all share a commitment to improving people's lives that is very inspiring. They represent the next generation of business and technology leaders, and their creativity and passion are reason for us all to be optimistic about the future."

The 42 software design finalist teams created a software application using Microsoft technology and Microsoft, NET Web Services based on the Imagine Cup competition theme.

"Imagine a world where technology enables us to live healthier lives Gates further said.