“Atos launches its fourth IT Challenge to find the best concepts for Connected Living”

Running in partnership with EEBus, the Atos IT Challenge invites students from 10 countries worldwide to submit their winning ideas

Atos, a leader in digital services, today launched its fourth IT Challenge in partnership with EEBus. This year’s challenge to students in 10 countries worldwide is to create the best concepts for connected living – the world where our homes, work, and city are all seamlessly connected through multiple smart devices that integrate video, voice, and data services, to provide access and ubiquitous connectivity anytime and anywhere.

The Atos IT Challenge was set up in 2012 to foster and encourage innovation in the future generation of IT professionals. It is now an established event in the student calendar at our partner universities in 10 countries. It has uncovered winning ideas for the Olympic Games and connected cars. These include an app that suggests the best speed for phased traffic lights to reduce car emissions and an app to plan your day of sport and sightseeing during the Olympics.

This year’s winning team will receive a trip to Barcelona including a visit to the Atos mobile competence center, where they will meet Atos experts to discuss how their apps can be developed and commercialised. The two runner up teams will receive a tablet and an Atos Diploma demonstrating outstanding achievement and the chance to apply for a highly sought after internship at Atos.

Gilles Grapinet, Senior Executive Vice President at Atos and Worldline Chief Executive Officer, said: “By 2018, it is predicted there will be 25 billion^{^[1]} connected devices and 4.5 billion^{^[2]} smart phones worldwide. We, at Atos and Worldline, are at the center of this emerging opportunity and we already see how it can significantly improve our daily lives. Connected cars, smart boxes and robots that control our heating and lighting are just the beginning. As more and more devices and appliances are connected, the potential to make our lives more convenient while helping us save money and energy are huge. This is an exciting challenge and I encourage students at our participating universities to think big and creatively.”

Peter Kellendonk, President at EEBus, said: ”We are proud to participate in this IT challenge. We combine the devices and technologies of our daily lives -household appliances, heating and security systems – and work with energy providers and telecommunications companies to create new services and solutions. Get creative with EEBus and start shaping tomorrow’s future now by competing in this challenge. The future is built today.”

Teams are requested to register their interest and post their initial submission on to the dedicated IT Challenge website before 12 December 2014. Up to a maximum of 15 successful teams will be shortlisted. 14 will be selected by the Atos Scientific Community and experts from EEBus. The Scientific Community is a global network of around 100 of the best business technologists within Atos. One team will be selected by the public – the team with the highest number of likes on Facebook.

The IT Challenge forms part of the Atos Wellbeing@work initiative and supports its objective to encourage and develop talent.

For more information about the contest and to register interest, visit: atositchallenge.net

About Atos

Atos SE (Societas Europaea) is a leader in digital services with 2013 pro forma annual revenue of € 10 billion and 86,000 employees in 66 countries. Serving a global client base, the Group provides Consulting & Systems Integration services, Managed Services & BPO, Cloud operations, Big Data & Security solutions, as well as transactional services through Worldline, the European leader in the payments and transactional services industry. With its deep technology expertise and industry knowledge, the Group works with clients across different business sectors: Defence, Health, Manufacturing, Media & Utilities, Public Sector, Retail, Telecommunications , Transportation.

Atos is focused on business technology that powers progress and helps organizations to create their firm of the future. The Group is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic & Paralympic Games and is listed on the Euronext Paris market. Atos operates under the brands Atos, Atos Consulting, Atos Worldgrid, Bull, Canopy, and Worldline.

About the EEBus Initiative e.V.

The non-profit organization EEBus Initiative e.V. networks the leading companies, associations and stakeholders in the German and international energy, telecommunications and electrical industry. Together, we develop EEBus as an open, standardised and consensus-oriented networking concept. Starting with linking Smart Grid and Smart Consumers, we are developing an approach above and beyond Smart Home and Building, to make a holistic concept for almost all Smart Devices. Through our combined strengths and competence we open up a new interdisciplinary market for smart connectivity. The aim: an increase in energy efficiency, comfort and security for the benefit of consumers, society, the environment and economy. Through active participation in the standardisation bodies, we are contributing to a modern, sustainable communication infrastructure and promoting networking and interoperability.www.eebus.org