The Information Technology Professionals’ Association of Korea (IPAK) signed an agreement with the National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA) and Microsoft Korea for nurturing software talents. Under the agreement, they will cooperate in holding the “Imagine Cup” competition and the “Global Software Contest Awards” while supporting the events by offering benefits and follow-up supports to the winning teams.The Global Software Contests Awards, hosted by the Ministry of Knowledge and Economy and organized by NIPA and IPAK, aims to discover and promote the creative software developed purely with Korean technology and to enhance Korea SW competitiveness by encouraging developers and discovering superior talents. The winners of the 2011 Global Software Contests Awards will have the privilege to go through to the 3rd qualifying round of the 2012 Imagine Cup Korea, which will be hosted by MS and held in Incheon City on March 29 next year.