Participation
Q: How do I submit a new
idea?
A: For a quick overview of
how the site works,
view the
Flash demo.
To post a new idea, click on “Submit Idea” at the top of the
page to access the form. Complete the fields in the form to name your
idea, describe it, categorize it, and add keyword tags for the public
posting. The form includes an optional section where you can provide
information that only the Cisco evaluation team can see.
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Q: What happens after
I submit my idea?
A: Your idea will appear on
the public site under recent postings and the category in which you
submitted it. It will also be routed to the evaluation team for initial
review. Ideas considered inappropriate by the evaluation team may be marked
as "hidden" and may no longer be
viewable on the public site. Other registrants can read your idea, rate
it by promoting or demoting it, and add comments. Tracking your comments
may give you ideas about how to improve your idea, or may identify people
with whom you might be able to collaborate to create a team and propose
a more robust entry.
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Q: Can I modify my idea
once I've submitted it?
A: No. If you identify ways
to refine and improve your idea, please submit it as a new idea so
it can go through the full evaluation process. The ideas are reviewed by
the I-Prize team when they're first submitted and are commented on within
a community forum.
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Q: How does the scoring
work?
A: Each time an idea receives
a "promote" vote, the score on the
idea is increased by three points. "Demote" votes subtract three
points from the idea's score. This score indicates how well-liked the idea
is by the community. The more support an idea has the higher it appears
on the “Best” ideas page.
You may vote on each idea only one
time. If you have voted on an idea, a link called "Clear Opinion" will
appear at the end of the comments field. Click on that link to remove or
update your vote.
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Q: Can I post a comment
on an idea?
A: Yes. Click on the “comment” link under the idea and
enter your comment in the text box.
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Q: What are the "Best" and "Recent" tabs?
A: The “Best” ideas tab lists in rank order the ideas that have
the highest score based on support votes. You can identify the top ideas
in a specific category by selecting the category from the right-hand navigation
and then clicking on the Best tab. The “Recent” ideas tab shows
the most recently posted ideas for the overall program. When an idea is
first submitted, it also appears at the top of the “Recent” section.
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Q: How can I get people
to support my idea?
A: Just like a shelf of books,
the interesting titles stand out and get the readers' attention. When
submitting your idea, be sure to include a clear, concise title and summary.
Remember that this is a global competition, so avoid slang and clever language
to be sure a wide audience can review your idea.
The right-hand navigation
also includes an Invite a Friend function so you can share the opportunity
with other innovators or show colleagues what you've submitted to get
their support.
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Q: How do I get an idea
to the front page?
A: When you first submit your
idea, the system automatically places it at the top for the Recent
tab on the first page. The recent tab is a chronological listing only.
The ideas that show up on the Best tab are ranked and listed by score.
The highest-scoring ideas will appear on the first page. Given the scope
of the competition, the page may change several times in a day, or even
within an hour.
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Q: What happens if my
idea is selected for Phase II of the Cisco I-Prize program?
A: In the second round,
up to 100 semifinalist teams will use Cisco WebEx collaboration tools
to refine their idea and assess the market potential. The Cisco I-Prize
team will provide training and templates to provide the aspiring teams
with guidelines for the second phase steps. As the Phase II deliverable,
each semifinalist team will submit a virtual presentation by recording
a Cisco WebEx meeting.
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Q: What happens in Phase
III of the program?
A: In the final round of Cisco
I-Prize, up to ten finalist teams will work with Cisco to identify
the sustainable differentiation of their entry and develop a business plan.
Each team will deliver a final presentation via Cisco TelePresence
to a judging panel of Cisco executives and industry luminaries.
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