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Idea competition and other e-business related articles.
Every month the Kevin and Debra Rollins Center for eBusiness publishes an online newsletter highlighting student and faculty achievements. The center is part of the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University.
Idea competition
Written by Aaron Pacini
On 27 February 2003, the Kevin and Debra Rollins eBusiness Center hosted the first ever BYU eBusiness Idea Competition. The e-business center was pleased to have 58 participants competing for $1,000 in prize money, with a top prize of $500. Entries were accepted from all BYU students and faculty. Judging criteria was based on the general idea, the possibility of realization, its value to the consumer, and its application to e-business. The winner of the $500 top prize, Greg Packer, said, Its a good program to be involved in because it gets students to apply skills outside of school. Its nice to think of the application of learning, to actually see an idea through."
The judging for this event was composed of both faculty (John Richards, Stephen Liddle, Todd Manwaring, and Jerry Nelson) and professionals from vSpring Capital (Jeff Kearl, Paul Ahlstrom, and Clarke Miyasaki). After reviewing the initial 58 entries, the judges met together and narrowed the field down to the top five entries. These five were notified and invited to prepare presentations. After the presentations, the judges consulted and then announced the winners. John Richards, faculty advisor for the event, stated, Some entries impressed the judges so much that there was a desire to introduce those who submitted the ideas to existing companies to explore business synergies." Below is a summary of the winning ideas:
| | - Greg Packers Cell Phone Home Router" came in first place. Packer said, For people who spend time at home and dont want to always carry their cell phones in their own home. This product would automatically re-route all incoming cell phone calls through the house phone lines, allowing you to answer an incoming cell phone call from any of your house phones."
- Abbie Roberts and David Brinkerhoffs Complete Medical" came in second place. Roberts stated, Complete Medical is a web-based medical record and account management information system [that] effectively allows patients complete access to all their personal medial history and billing records. It also facilitates patient care, record management, and account collections for hospitals, insurance companies, and medical service providers. Patients would have the ability to view all their medical records, including itemized statements of services performed, including standardized medical billing forms (i.e. Health Insurance Claim Forms). Because the software is web-based, patients can travel to any participating hospital or physician in the United States (or perhaps the world) and the patients records are automatically available."
- Tyler Pace came in third place with Annex Bicycle." Tyler explained, Annex Bicycle is based on developing a company after the Dell model by creating a web site where a customer can design, develop, and build their own custom mountain bike which would be manufactured and shipped within 24-hours of the completion of the bicycle and payment in full. Similar to the various phases which customers go through while designing a computer on Dell.com, a customer would enter the Anex.com web site and simply click their way through an ordered production model of the bike they like. The more components the user adds, the more the price goes up. This would give the customer a feeling of creativity."
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Honorable mention awards were given to the following participants:
| | - Brandon Camps idea for a Workout Tracking System" was to start a line of exercise equipment with wireless network components installed in each machine to help track progress and provide workout summaries. The exercise equipment would have a device that could recognize the code on [a personal] identification device and would track the customers workout, sending the information to the main database for analysis. Gym members would have the opportunity to look up their data online (through the internet) and would be able to analyze the data according to their desires."
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| | - Don Wyatts Internet Kitchen" is designed to help people that have food and dont know what to make for dinner. Wyatt said, Those people need a system that will manage the food items that they have on hand. My web system will allow people to manage the items that they have in their kitchen better. If a user of my system wants to make a meal then they will be able to generate a report of recipes that they can make based on the inventory that they already have. If a customer wants to make a particular recipe then they will be able to generate a report that will print a list of items they need to buy to make that recipe. With an optional scanner and computer interface, a user could scan items by the Universal Product Code (UPC) code on the goods they purchase. That information could then be uploaded to the users own personal inventory database. In order to make money we would sell advertising space, access to the system, and marketing data analysis."
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