Above: The audience at the launch of the 2017 Teleios Code Jam, held at Microsoft’s Port of Spain offices. Photo by Mark Lyndersay. 

Lorenzo Hodges, Marketing Manager of Teleios Systems chaired the first formal launch of the company’s coding bootcamp marathon, the Code Jam at Microsoft’s Port of Spain headquarters today.

“The process is having a transformative effect and supplements what is learned in school,” Hodges said.

“”We have a responsibility to help our students to see the world differently,” said Ronald Hinds, founder and CEO of Teleios.

“We are not talking about teaching people to code, that’s a different problem,” Hinds said, “but there was  need to make a change in the current situation and not just sit back and worry about what needs to be done.”

Terrence Farrell delivers the feature address at the launch of Teleios Code Jam 2017. Click to enlarge.

Feature speaker Terrence Farrell noted that the pace of change and innovation has sped up significantly.

“Innovation is what happens when smart people confront difficult problems,” Farrell explained. “We are seeing new products and delivery of products changing at an accelerated pace.”

Farrell asked many rhetorical questions of his audience, pondering, among other things about the doubtful efficiencies of local governance processes in as basic a system as tax collection.”

“The technology solutions for local problems will inevitably lead to job losses and that’s a factor for politicians,” he said.

Farrell, who is an advisor to the Government, called for public and private sector investment in innovation through a transparent and accountable agency.

Irwin Williams, Leader of the Teleios Code Jam Build team, announced, after wrestling with Cortana on his smartphone for a bit, the changes to the programme.

The theme for 2017 is “Smart City.”
Teleios describes that in greater detail as “Environments that are deliberately designed that leverage knowledge to proactively make the lives of citizens better.”

Competitors will need to choose two areas from the four that have been designated and competing solutions will incorporate aspects of Artificial Intelligence, Augmented or Virtual Reality, Security and Sensors.

Behind the Code is a new addition to the Code Jam and will consist of vignettes where developers from Teleios and TCJ and partner companies will be interviewed about their process and strategy for designing software.
Finally, Williams promised, there will be “more vibes” in the Code Jam competition.