Microsoft Unlimited Potential Blog: Microsoft Unlimited Potential Blog

Working at Microsoft, I’m fully aware of the amazing things that people can do with technology and the impact that it can have, but every now and then, my knowledge is taken to new depths – literally!

The Octopus Deep-Sea Archeology Research Association has a long history of successful discoveries of treasures hidden deep in the ocean. They have identified and explored several shipwrecks in different regions. During these projects there is a huge amount of data and images created, but until recently, they had not figured out how to effectively manage all this information. 

When members of the Octopus Association first contacted Microsoft, they asked for a donation of Windows Server 2003. However, after assessing their needs and seeing the sheer volume of photos, videos and data that they had to handle, we quickly realized that there were other ways that Microsoft technology could help. Following a number of additional meetings to better understand their specific requirements, Microsoft Hungary donated software valued at over $30,000, featuring products such as SharePoint, Silverlight and Photosynth.

Along with the software, we worked with the Association to use technology that could bring the work of the archeologists into the living room of people everywhere. One of the most spectacular solutions that the Octopus Association are using is Photosynth, which enables them to combine different photos of an object to produce a 3D image. Below you can see two interesting examples. One showcases a wine bottle, the other one a sculpture, both on the exact location where they were found. Click on the images to view the Photosynth.

Besides photos, the Octopus Association discovered that videos could be shared as well, using Microsoft Silverlight technology. These interactive multimedia elements will be introduced in a virtual online museum that is planned to be launched within a year. The museum will use embedded accessibility tools to ensure that the visually impaired can experience their work also.

Helping to share the results of the Association’s discoveries with a wider audience is only a small fraction of our support of the Octopus Association. One of the most important changes was helping them to transfer their organization's portal to SharePoint, since this technology is ideal for collecting and sharing data created at geographically disparate locations, which is of course regular practice in the Association’s work.  

Moreover, through some help from Microsoft's system engineers, the IT manager of Octopus created a solution to enhance the transfer of information on new finds to historians, archaeologists and researchers involved in the projects, all over the world.

Using SharePoint has made research administration very efficient, as opposed to the former, paper based solution, making tasks such as bulk inquiries and filters much more efficient.   Not only are archaeological records entered into the database, but divers' logs are linked to these data.  In the case of any potential deviations, the system initiates an alarm.  The software can calculate this by comparing current and historic data, and is able to alarm the team leader in time, before any issue might arise.

Members of Octopus also exploit the advantages of Windows 7's security functions.  The Association’s IT manager is a big fan of Windows 7 networking, search, data management and display functionality.  He believes that the management of data communications is significantly faster in Windows 7, while less user interaction is required for frequently used functions.

Because our Microsoft team closely follows the Association, to provide technical and professional assistance, I have managed to learn a great deal about their work.  I’m proud and pleased to have experienced the excitement of working on this project and amazed once again to learn that there are a vast number of creative ways to use Microsoft's technologies.  This gives new meaning to my understanding of Unlimited Potential and where we might go from here.

Bernadette Szilagyi

Microsoft Hungary Unlimited Potential Program manager

As I write this post, over 400 students from every corner of the world are competing in Warsaw, Poland at the finals of the 2010 Imagine Cup. 

Every single one of these students is a winner. 

Over 325,000 students registered for this year’s competition and through local and regional competitions, these 400 have battled their way to the world finals.

The Imagine Cup challenges students to think about how they can use technology to solve some of the world’s toughest problems as inspired by the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals.

Their ingenuity and creativity, not to mention their technology skills, are absolutely incredible. I had the privilege of attending the 2009 Imagine Cup world finals in Cairo, Egypt and it’s impossible to share the excitement of the event through a single blog post.

The great news is that you can follow the excitement online.

• Follow the latest news from the event on the Imagine Cup blog
• Find out all about the competition at the Imagine Cup website
• Visit the Imagine Cup press room

The Imagine Cup World Festival takes place on July 8th 2010 when the overall winners will be announced.  You can watch the webcast live on the Imagine Cup website to find out which of the finalists will win the ultimate student technology prize.

Recommended viewing.

Like many European countries, Norway has an aging population. Today, 13% of the population is above the age of 67 and by 2020 it is estimated that will grow to 22%. In 2008, the Norwegian Government presented a widely welcomed parliamentary white paper “An Information Society For All” which addresses key priorities for the country and aims to ensure that all sectors of Norwegian society enjoy the benefits of technology and the internet.

Today in Norway, while overall internet usage is very high with nine out of ten Norwegians below the age of 55 using the internet on a daily basis, less than five out of ten people over the age of 68 are regular users.

Microsoft Norway has been partnering with NGOs to address the challenge of improving the general population’s IT skills for several years and there is an increased focus on how we bring those skills to people over the age of 55.

We have a long standing partnership with a Norwegian organization “Seniornett” who we support through funding, equipment and software. Seniornett is focused on increasing digital participation by people above the age of 55, through a national network of clubs offering training courses and meeting places for seniors who wish to learn how to use computer and the internet. Seniornett provided training to more than 18,000 seniors in 2009 and they aim to ensure that 250,000 seniors are active on the Internet by 2014.

We’re also working closely with the Norwegian Red Cross on projects such as the Women’s café which provides computer and internet training. In Oslo, many of our employees use the three volunteering days they have each year to support the Woman’s Café. Microsoft volunteers provide women attending the café with personal computer and internet training. The café is especially popular amongst immigrants. Over 40% of immigrants in Norway have little or no IT skills, and Microsoft employees do outstanding work providing them with these essential IT skills. We think it’s a great example of how our people can use their skills in a way that directly benefits their local community – and make some good friends while they do so!

Microsoft Norway General Manager Hege Skryseth guiding Karimi Mariam through the wonders of technology.

Both the Seniornett and Women’s Café initiatives are now also supported by the national government through their e-inclusion agenda. It’s a great example of our ongoing commitment to drive effective citizenship programs in partnership with the public, private and nonprofit sectors and of course our people.

Find out more about our citizenship activities in Norway on the Local Impact Map

Kjetil Brun Thorvik

Kjetil Brun Thorvik is the Citizenship lead for Microsoft Norway. Born in Geneva, Switzerland, he currently resides in Oslo, Norway. He has a business degree from Norwegian School of Management and over six years’ of experience as a corporate affairs consultant specializing in corporate citizenship and reputation management.

The traditional language of France’s Alsace region, on its eastern border, is Alsatian, a dialect of German that is currently endangered. Although an estimated sixty percent of Alsatians can speak this dialect, only about thirty-five percent are fluent. Furthermore, the majority of the fluent speakers represent the senior population—a group who speaks little French and has had minimum exposure to ICT.

To address the challenge of preserving Alsatian for future generations, Microsoft and the Alsace Regional Council developed a partnership. Together, they implemented an Alsatian version of the Microsoft Office system through the Microsoft Local Language Program (LLP). The Alsace Regional Council, assisted by the Office pour la Langue et la Culture Alsacienne (OCLA) put together a team of fifteen translators to translate more than fifty thousand words and terms for the glossary.

The team also implemented the Alsatian Captions for Local Interface Program (CLIP). CLIP makes it possible for a cursor placed over a menu item or command in French to display the Alsatian translation. Not only does this automated translation make it possible for computer-savvy young Alsatians to learn their language through computer use, it also enables older Alsatian-speaking residents of the region to become computer literate by engaging technology in a language most familiar to them. It is estimated that CLIP will expand computer usage in the region by fifteen percent in 2009 alone.

Through these programs, Microsoft is helping the Alsatian language to evolve, a key element in language survival, by creating terms for new concepts and phrases of the twenty-first century. Furthermore, the initiative is fostering global citizenship in Alsace, whose residents are proud to be working on a high-tech solution to the global challenge of language preservation.