Winners from VMware's Ideas Hackathon build platform for special needs individuals

VMware, an enterprise software provider, has concluded its inaugural Ideas Hackathon at vFORUM Singapore 2019, where the winning idea was presented to the public.

Built by a student team from Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s School of Infocomm Technology, APSNLive is a web platform designed to serve beneficiaries from social service agency Association for Persons with Special Needs (APSN). APSN provides special education for persons with mild intellectual disability.

“The core purpose of any form of technology is to help us solve problems and improve lives. At VMware, we believe in giving back to society and using tech as a force for good. The Ideas Hackathon has been a great showcase for this. The winning applications have demonstrated how technology can better the lives of the APSN alumni, and in turn, encourage them to embrace technology as part of their everyday life. This has in turn contributed to building a more inclusive society and workplace for under-served communities,” said Sanjay K. Deshmukh, VP and MD, Southeast Asia and Korea, VMware.

“This is just the start of a long Tech for Good journey, but we hope the first-ever Ideas Hackathon has succeeded in inspiring a new generation of inclusive innovators here in Singapore, and inculcated in them the beauty of technology being a force for the greater good of society.”

With an idea of building a social and support platform to address the needs of APSN alumni, The winning team won the pitch-based first phase of the VMware Ideas Hackathon, after which they spent the next six months building and improving on APSNLive. The web platform represents a significant milestone in Singapore’s journey towards building a more digitally-enabled and inclusive workforce by allowing APSN alumni to connect, upskill and get access to employment, legal and medical services. The web platform is optimised for a seamless mobile experience and will be deployed across the APSN community.

“Currently, there is a significant gap to involve community stakeholders to build an inclusive society, and make it easier for APSN Alumni Services to connect with alumni beneficiaries. The APSNLive web platform bridges the gap. With the help of VMware, APSN hopes to build a more effective and efficient way of embracing technology for the special needs community in Singapore,” said Dr Christopher Tay, CEO, APSN.

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