Region III HEI’s Shine in the 3rd SWEEP Innovations and Excellence Awards

The SPCF winning team (right) headed by Dean  Reylen Garcia

Two Higher Education Institutions from Region III, the Bulacan State University (BSU) and Systems Plus College Foundation (SPCF) bagged the 1st and 2nd places, respectively, at the recently concluded 3rd Smart Wireless Engineering Education Program (SWEEP) Innovation and Excellence Awards. This award is an annual nationwide search for the most innovative wireless applications designed by student-faculty teams.

With the theme of “Safety Through Connectivity, ” this year’s competition held last March 9 and 10, 2007 at the Mall of Asia, Pasay City reaped 58 innovations from all over the country. These projects showcased mobile solutions designed to make life better and safer through secure and reliable machine-to-machine (M2M) wireless communication systems.

Bulacan State University’s entry “Smart PhoneGuard,” a wireless application against phone theft, bested all the 57 other entries. When the phone is stolen, this innovation allows phone signals to be blocked even if the SIM card has been changed. It also automatically locks the inbox and memory card of the phone to protect the owner’s files.

“SMARTHOUSE,” from Systems Plus College Foundation, Angeles City, bagged the competition’s 2nd place. This innovation protects the homeowners from illegal intrusion by automatically activating the alarm and the mobile phone connected to a microcontroller device. It also automatically informs the owner and the police authorities of such intrusion through text messages. Ateneo de Davao University’s “Vehicle Emergency Locator” placed 3rd.

The SMARTHOUSE

BSU, the grand champion, brought home one million pesos in cash and grants, SPCF brought home six hundred thousand pesos while AdDU, three hundred thousand pesos also in cash and grants. The contest, now on its third year, is a project of the nation’s leading wireless services provider, Smart Communications, Inc. (SMART).