One Economy and AT&T Announce Winners of National Contest, Applications for Good

Developers from across the country create apps that help people improve their lives; AT&T and One Economy award up to $50,000 in prize money to winning developers

WASHINGTON, June 14, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- One Economy and AT&T* announced today the winners of the national contest, Applications for Good. The grand prize winner was Brendan McBride and his colleagues from New York City, for their application "Remas."  The team received $10,000 to continue the development of their "app" that enables users to find the lowest cost overseas money transfer option closest to their location.

According to a Pew Research Center report, lower-income households often access the Internet on mobile phones and devices in place of home Internet connections. Those without computers and high speed Internet in-home are disproportionately people of color. Eighty-seven percent of African Americans and Latinos own smart or feature phones and are more likely to take advantage of a wide array of phone data functions.

For the past three months, developers across the country have been working with community partners to create applications that will help low-income residents improve their lives. The apps specifically address needs related to education, health and finances.

Today's live event and webcast also engaged a national audience in a conversation about the relevancy of broadband access and adoption, technology and mobile devices—especially in underserved communities.

"Technology is important, but today's event shows that what really matters is how people, families and communities use technology to make their lives better," said Kelley Dunne, President and CEO of One Economy. "We must constantly challenge ourselves to seek creative ways to meet people where they are delivering resources that can truly transform communities. I am also very grateful for AT&T supporting this effort with us."

A panel of judges from top corporations, software companies, education and financial organizations chose the final winners in the following categories: Connect Learners; Trim the Fat and Bank the Unbanked.  The general public also had the chance to vote on their favorite app, for which the Remas app also took home the $5,000 prize.

"There is no question that mobile phones and devices can deliver innovative, life changing solutions for people across the United States and around the world," said Carlton Hill, Vice President of Device Operations and Product Development at AT&T.  "AT&T is proud to work with One Economy to challenge innovators, problem solvers and individuals to be a part of social and economic change."

"We are so excited to win the first Applications for Good grand prize – what an honor," said McBride. "A dedicated team of volunteers has poured hours and their own money into the development of Remas. This prize money will enable us to finish our testing and take our app live faster than we anticipated. We are very thankful to One Economy and AT&T for helping us make this possible."

Judges for the contest included: Mark Drapeau, Microsoft; Carlton Hill, AT&T; Gloria Guard, One Economy; Alex Howard, O'Reilly Media; Patrick Mork, GetJar; and Jim Rosenberg, World Bank. Additional sponsors of the contest included Urban Airship.

Other winners and their prizes include:

• Ysiad Ferreiras won the $5,000 Health prize for his application, SnapFresh, which helps food stamp recipients find healthy places that accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments (formally known as food stamps).
• David Simnick and Daniel Doll won the $5,000 Education prize for their web-based application, TalkChalk, which leverages the power of social gaming and networking and applies it to how students learn.
• Nick Jacobsen won the $5,000 Banking prize for his application, MobileSaver, which is a mobile web portal for the management of an Individual Development Account.
• Robert Hellestrae won the $4,000 Gaming prize for his app, Nutrition Missions, which introduces users to delicious, nutrient dense foods by completing steps of varying difficulty through fun and healthy "missions."

Additional information on all of the winners can be found at http://www.one-economy.com/apps4good.

The full webcast of the announcement can be found on One Economy's website at one-economy.com. To learn more about the contest visit http://applicationsforgood.org/.  

About Applications for Good
Applications for Good is a part of One Economy's effort to bring everyone into the economic mainstream using Internet technology. Applications for Good challenges software developers, game designers, students, and other innovators to develop fun and engaging mobile applications and games that help hard working families to become connected learners, find jobs, get healthy and build financial security.

* AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

About One Economy
One Economy is a global non-profit organization that uses innovative approaches to deliver the power of technology and information to low-income people. More than 19 million people have used One Economy's online tools and resources including public-purpose media at www.pic.tv to build better lives. Learn more at www.one-economy.com. To date, One Economy has launched on-the-ground programs in 42 U.S. states, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.

About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet and voice services. A leader in mobile broadband, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T | DIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising.

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SOURCE One Economy