Manchester, UK, 25 September, 2014 – Sparta Digital and Progress, a global software company that simplifies the development, deployment and management of business applications, will be holding the first of a series of free Hackathons on 23-24 October at MadLab in Manchester, themed around the development of applications for the Rugby World Cup in 2015.
The Hackathon will encourage participating local companies, IT professionals and developers to create and deploy Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)-based applications using the Progress® Rollbase® solution. The attendees will be split into competing teams, with developers working alongside local companies to create these cloud-based applications that could be used alongside next year’s Rugby World Cup. These could include live scores, ticketing or fixture trackers. Progress experts will be on hand to cover the basics and get everyone started with the Rollbase solution while Sparta Digital will be working with businesses to help identify each company’s own unique requirements.
The two day event will bring together the local business and developer communities and provide the opportunity to win £4,000 worth of prizes: a £1,000 cash prize and £3,000 worth of start-up kit from Sparta Digital. All participants will receive a special one-month trial of the Progress platform.
Deployed via a cloud-based Platform-as-a-Service, which significantly reduces the complexity of costs around the purchase and management of hardware, software and hosting, the Rollbase solution operates on an ‘80 per cent click to 20 per cent code’ ratio. This helps to simplify and streamline the development of business applications considerably; using point-and-click, drag-and-drop tools to reduce the amount of coding necessary, delivering on the promise of rapid application development (RAD). It is a highly flexible solution and is used to develop multiple applications for CRM, Payroll, human resources, legal, automotive, local and national government departments.
VP and Managing Director of Progress EMEA, Mark Armstrong commented: “SMEs are the lifeblood of any economy and it is important they have access to all the tools they need to ensure that they are run in as a productive way as possible. Through the Rollbase solution, Progress is empowering businesses, enabling them to develop and deploy applications with the minimum amount of fuss. We’re looking forward to working with Sparta to deliver this series of hackathons which will give the business community of Greater Manchester the chance to see what rapid application development can do for them.”
Zulf Choudhary, CEO of Sparta Digital, said: “Enterprise applications aren’t just a luxury for the biggest businesses – they can offer very real economic benefits to companies of all sizes. This hackathon will be a great opportunity for businesses to look at how they can use technology to improve their operations and serve their customers.”
To register for one of the 20 business tickets or 40 developer tickets please follow this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/get-your-next-generation-apps-built-paas-hackathon-cloud-apps-on-progress-tickets-13199769867
About Progress
Progress Software Corporation (NASDAQ: PRGS) is a global software company that simplifies the development, deployment and management of business applications on-premise or in the cloud, on any platform or device, to any data source, with enhanced performance, minimal IT complexity and low total cost of ownership.
Progress Software can be reached at https://www.progress.co.uk or +31 10 286 5700.
Progress and Rollbase are trademarks or registered trademarks of Progress Software Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Any other names contained herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.