RS
Ramsundar Sundarkumar
  • Computer Science
  • Hyderabad, XX

Ramsundar Sundarkumar Selected to Participate in Microsoft Hackfest

2015 Jun 25

There's no substitute for hands-on experience, but gaining experience and learning from one of the most recognized brands in the world - well that doesn't happen often, unless you're one of the four Georgia State University students who recently traveled to Microsoft's headquarters to participate in Microsoft's SCAMP "Hackfest." The team included Ramsundar Sundarkumar a Computer Science major from Hyderabad had to go through a highly selective application and interview process to participate.

Microsoft's SCAMP "Hackfest," which hosted Georgia State University participants from May 4-8, brings together coders and developers to improve software and find solutions to user problems. And the Georgia State team had a big problem to solve; "How can Microsoft's Azure web platform fit the needs of a large university like Georgia State?" The Georgia State team gained first-hand experience in understanding how to strategically approach problem solving in a multi-level team atmosphere with a common goal in mind: increasing use of Microsoft's Azure platform by helping large enterprises monitor resource usage to control costs and simplifying access to the resources for non-technical users.

The Georgia State University team consisted of three undergraduate students and one graduate student, who had the opportunity to show off their coding skills and influence the development and design of a pilot application to complement Microsoft's Azure enterprise software. The challenge of building a real-world product helped the students to understand how computing overlaps with other fields outside of the classroom. Wasfi Momen, an undergraduate Computer Science major who participated, sums up the opportunity, "This experience helped me jumpstart my interest and really understand the life of a coder, computer scientist, and an engineer to help solve problems."

Similar to how a songwriter receives credit for writing a song, the Georgia State team will receive contributor credit for their work on the solution. The Microsoft team is still working to complete the new toolset, which is scheduled to be piloted at Georgia State University beginning in late June. To further develop the toolset, Microsoft will bring their team to Georgia State, where a new, larger group of students will get the opportunity to experiment with and contribute to the toolset as development continues.