OSRAM initiates ideas competition in Second Life

Okay, it is not really fresh news, but maybe you did not see it, maybe you did not know, and I think the price money is worthwhile to consider submitting any idea. If you have seen "the light", now it is the time to come forward.;)
There is still some time left, so get your ideas together and brighten up your Second Life, that is, when the grid is not down, like last night (again).;(

Press release 12/04/07

"The One Million Dollar* Idea"

OSRAM is kicking off its second round of Second Life activities with the launch of an ideas competition, the like of which has yet to be seen. In a competition in the virtual world, the light manufacturer is looking for an idea connected with the world of light. The special feature of the contest: the best idea will not only receive a prize, but will also be turned into an actual product in the real world. The lucky winner will receive a million Linden dollars for the development.

"We believe that Second Life holds a huge international potential for creativity," says Juliane Braun, Head of Corporate Communications, explaining the rationale behind the competition. "We would like to pick up on this and find out how ideas are developed in a virtual world." OSRAM is holding a competition to find an idea which can then be launched on the market as a genuine product. Clearly, this will require more than just a spontaneous brainwave. The feasibility of the idea will thus be investigated in advance in Second Life, before being jointly developed in a specially created development laboratory. The company has set a deadline of five months for selecting the product and has created a kind of development environment with a think tank and conference area on OSRAM Island.

Anyone can apply by submitting a preliminary sketch of the idea for the qualifying round. From the start of the competition on 6 December 2007, the Second Life residents will have four weeks' time to enter. A total of 250 of the entries will be selected - and then the next round will begin in five groups of fifty competitors. The ideas will be refined and elaborated with supervision and presentation by OSRAM specialists. The winner and runner-up in each group will progress into the next round. And: each group winner will receive 75,000 Linden dollars and each group runner-up 25,000 Linden dollars.

The ten finalists will then undergo more scrutiny and their ideas will be further developed with light professionals from OSRAM. The winner or the winning team of the One Million Dollar* Idea competition will be announced after five months. The most original ideas will be presented again and displayed to the community at a big final party.