Anthony Salcito is one of Microsoft’s more peripatetic execs. As vice president of the company’s Worldwide Public Sector-Education, he’s in Puerto Rico one month, Russia another, and maybe Fresno, Calif., the next. Why? To gain insights on different education systems and, as you might imagine, to drop Microsoft’s technology into the conversations. We caught up with him while he was on the road recently to grab his thoughts on Microsoft’s Imagine Cup – the international student competition culminated in Poland this month.

ID: What’s different about this year’s competition? What’s being trotted out this year that hasn’t been tried before?

AS: This year we added a few new awards that are pretty exciting and were designed to increase the opportunity for more students to participate.

We added an app contest for the new Windows Phone 7 devices. Students have the opportunity to be among the first developers to build apps for it. And we’ve waived registration fees for the Windows Phone Marketplace for students enrolled in the Microsoft DreamSpark program, which provides free access to a number of Microsoft developer tools. We also offered an opportunity for students to create a video that showcases their vision of how the world can be transformed through technology advancements by the year 2020.

We also saw an increased number of female competitors at this year’s U.S. finals in Washington, D.C. All of the top four finalist teams for the Software Design competition had at least one female team member, and of that, two of those teams were made up of all-female members. Out of a field of 22,000 registrants this year, that is quite an achievement. Our goal is to build on this success and look for new ways for additional students to participate.

ID: What are some of the more impressive aspects of the entrants you’re seeing this year?

AS: I was really impressed by the overall caliber of the projects that the teams developed. I had the opportunity to meet with a lot of the students at the finals. What stood out were the innovative ideas and their drive to tackle social issues.

I get a sense that for the students, the competition isn’t about winning, but about creating significant change and using the tools of our age to help us get there. One of the teams created a Facebook application for micro-lending that helps to connect those seeking loans in rural areas with potential investors all over the world. They didn’t take the grand prize in their competition category. But they are moving forward with their project because it could have a significant impact on the lives of many people. That’s the type of innovation that this competition inspires.

ID: What sort of advice would you offer to college students considering a run at the Imagine Cup?

AS: It’s important for students to gain real-world experience using their knowledge outside of the classroom. Whether it be volunteering or participating in a global competition like the Imagine Cup, the experience you receive working in the field you are pursing is so valuable for career growth.

At Microsoft we look at the whole experience for students and offer free access to software and developer tools through our DreamSpark program, real-world experience through the Imagine Cup and connections to career opportunities through the Students to Business program. Students need to think long-term about their future and the steps they need to take to get there.

For the competition, there are several opportunities from creating movies and video games to designing software applications. The first step is to register and check out the Web site. There are several resources to learn about the competition and forums to gain advice from other students, as well as a process for teams to find mentors to help receive guidance.

More and more, the teams competing at the highest levels are thinking beyond just the technical aspects of solving problems, but are also looking at the business needs to launch their project into the marketplace.

ID: Talk about the halo effect of winning or being an Imagine Cup finalist. What sort of “real-world” successes have previous winners gone on to achieve?

AS: The Imagine Cup is a world stage and the winning teams have really proven themselves and their ideas among a very competitive field of entrants.

More than 300,000 students from over 100 countries and regions participate in the competition annually, so making it to the worldwide finals in Poland is remarkable.

Some of the teams have gone on to do amazing things regardless of winning. Many students have entered the workforce with a better sense of the impact they can make on tough problems … if you can develop a car that runs on vegetable oil or a system that monitors oceanic pollution, the daily issues on the job seem pretty easy.

Two good examples of successful teams in the real-world are Team CarbonCart from Seattle Pacific University, who started a partnership with Amazon.com to help offset the environmental impact of online shopping, and Team Smile from the University of Cape Town who started their own company that helps cities monitor the transit system in South Africa.

ID: What do you get out of being involved with the Imagine Cup?

AS: My favorite part of the Imagine Cup is meeting and interacting with the students. I’m blown away by the quality of their projects and how ambitious they are – their passion and energy is inspiring and demonstrates that tomorrow’s leaders are well on their way to solving our toughest social issues.

Visit www.imaginecup.com

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Editor’s note: This article  appears in the July 2010 print edition.

Tags: Imagine Cup, inventor, Microsoft