Contestants contribute blog posts based on a number of technology themes over a six-week period for a chance to win an Apple iPad tablet computer. The editorial staff of IT World Canada will supply blogging themes, feedback on the contributions and coaching on blogging best practices. Several past contestants have continued to blog for IT World Canada after the competition, bringing valuable insight while establishing themselves as thought leaders in the Canadian IT community. This year, we’re sweetening the pot by offering a number of short ‘rush’ competitions throughout the year, with prizes for each.

Blog content will be evaluated on the quality of the individual post. Writing multiple blog posts in multiple categories increases your chances of winning.

Big Data
What’s the big deal? Is this an evolution of data mining, or something else entirely? How can it make an enterprise more effective?

Customer-Centricity
What does the customer-centric organization look like? What role does IT play in its development? Cloud Computing – How does an enterprise determine how to use the cloud effectively? What’s driving cloud adoption? Is it here to stay, or will it be replaced by another computing model?

Why IT?
What does your career in IT mean to you? What gets you through the daily grind? What would you tell others starting out in the business?

Old-School Technology
What technologies from the past set the stage for today’s world of information technology? How do they continue to have an impact? What gadgets from the past were the coolest?