Mozilla invites users to build "the internet of the future"

Mozilla and the US National Science Foundation have launched Mozilla Ignite, a web site that challenges "designers, developers and everyday people" to design web applications that will run on "the internet of the future". The project is being supported by the White House and is part of the US Ignite initiative, which is an effort to research the implications of networks up to 250 times the speed of today's internet.

Participants are asked to submit ideas for applications that take advantage of this next generation infrastructure. In the first round of the challenge, the submitted ideas will be voted upon, with the best concepts winning funding and support to make them reality. Participants in the challenge will gain access to technologies being developed by the National Science Foundation's Global Environment for Network Innovation (GENI) program, including a network with speeds of up to one gigabit per second. Later rounds of the competition will focus on the design and development of the selected proposals, with a total of $500,000 to be awarded among the participants.

The brainstorming phase for application ideas will last until 23 August and $15,000 in prizes are available for the winning ideas. Everyone is welcome to participate.

(fab)