SANTA CRUZ, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Plantronics
(NYSE:PLT) , PLT Labs and Clarity are launching the 2015 PLT Labs
Application Innovation Contest, where contestants from 33 countries can
compete for a total of $85,000 in cash prizes. The contest is designed
to give innovators access to Plantronics APIs, SDKs, and product concept
prototypes so that they can explore new applications and business models
in one of three broad categories:
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Business Applications for Mobile Devices
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Applications for People with Limited Mobility
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Personal Applications for Mobile Devices
Contestants will form teams and submit ideas against any three of the
aforementioned application categories. A first prize of US$50,000, a
second prize of US$25,000 and a third prize of US$10,000 will be awarded
to the first, second, and third place winning submissions, respectively,
as determined by the judges. Winners can use these cash prizes for any
purpose including to continue their studies or to start a company.
Through the Plantronics Developer Connection, Plantronics will release
APIs to contestants that provide access to the data from different
sensors that could be contained inside a wearable device, as well as
other telemetry and communications protocols. These sensors could
include a nine-axis sensor that can track head orientation in three
dimensions, tap detection, free-fall detection, speech sensing, multiple
radios, an accelerometer, magnetometer, gyroscope, near-field
communications, and several more. Qualified teams will receive access to
physical product concepts so they can further develop their applications
and test them. Finalists will have an opportunity to present their ideas
live to a select Plantronics and Clarity judging panel.
“Headsets have rapidly moved beyond simple wearables that connect one
person to another through speech. Now a broad range of contextual
information from the device, coupled with the power and ubiquity of
smart phones makes entirely new classes of applications possible,” said
Cary Bran, vice-president, Innovation and New Ventures, Plantronics.
“Through this nine month hack-a-thon we are hoping to tap the brightest
and most creative innovators in the world to explore the realm of what’s
possible—and reward them with cash so they can further their education
or develop new businesses. ”
The 2015 PLT Labs Application Innovation Contest will consist of five
rounds:
Initial Entry
Contest submissions are open from September
29, 2014 through November 15, 2014. From now until the close of
submissions, contestants can review the Terms and Conditions of the
contest, understand the nature of the contest, and learn about the
capabilities and programming interfaces to the new devices. They can
form teams and think about their applications and the business cases
behind them. Submissions must be completed and received through the
Contest Submission Process no later than November 15, 2014.
Quarter-Finals
The Plantronics judging panel will review all
valid entries submitted by the deadline date and select 20 teams who
will proceed to the Semi-Finals round.
Semi-Finals
In this round, Plantronics will loan the
remaining teams a prototype device, to build and test their application.
Teams will submit a proof of the supported functionality by submitting
sample code and design of the application interface. The Plantronics
judging panel will select the top 10 teams to proceed to the Finals
round.
Finals
The top 10 teams will submit a prototype of their
application, a final business report and a short video. Each team will
be assigned a Plantronics mentor. The Plantronics judging panel will
then select the top 5 teams to proceed to the Winners Round.
Winners Round
In May 2015, the finalists will send, at
Plantronics’ expense, a delegate who will present the team’s prototype
live in front of the judges, who will select the contest winners.
Contestants residing in the following countries are eligible to
participate: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada (excluding
Québec), Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland,
Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, New Zealand, Netherlands, Norway, Poland,
Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the
United States. Some exclusions apply. Contestants are responsible for
meeting any obligations to their education institution, employers, or
any other applicable regulation or policy.
For more information or to apply to participate in the 2015 PLT Labs
Application Innovation Contest, visit: http://developer.plantronics.com/community/app-innovation-contest/
About PLT Labs
PLT Labs is working on innovations that will
help take wearable tech to the next level. Through PLT Labs, developers
can sign-up for a chance to help shape the future of wearables and
influence how people will interact with the Internet of Things. Sample
applications can be found at http://pltlabs.com.
Developers interested in joining the Plantronics developer community can
find more information at http://developer.plantronics.com/welcome.
About Plantronics
Plantronics is a global leader in audio
communications for businesses and consumers. We have pioneered new
trends in audio technology, creating innovative products that allow
people to simply communicate. From unified communication to Bluetooth®
headsets to gaming solutions, we deliver uncompromising quality, an
ideal experience, and extraordinary service. Plantronics is used by
every company in the Fortune 100, as well as 911 dispatch, air traffic
control and various mission-critical applications for those on the
frontline. For more information, please visit www.plantronics.com
or call (800) 544-4660.
About Clarity
Clarity, a division of Plantronics (NYSE:PLT),
creates smart communication solutions that help seniors live richer,
more engaged lives. For more than 40 years, Clarity's innovative
products -- such as amplified telephones, notification systems and
assistive listening devices -- have helped people with hearing loss, low
vision, limited mobility, dexterity issues and other health challenges.
Clarity has pioneered many firsts -- from digital sound processing in
2005 to remote-access customer service in 2010. Millions rely on Clarity
to communicate at home, at work and throughout their lives. For more
information, please visit www.clarityproducts.com
or call 1-800-426-3738.
Clarity and Plantronics are trademarks of Plantronics, Inc.
registered in the US and other countries, and PLT Labs is a trademark of
Plantronics, Inc. The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered
trademarks of Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by
Plantronics is under license. All other trademarks are property of their
respective owners.
