This program to invest in and mentor entrepreneurs and developers working in start-ups, independent software vendors (ISVs), and small to medium enterprises (SMEs) with innovative Web 2.0 ideas, was initiated by the Philippine-based Web 2.0 technology company offering on-demand web applications and delivery platforms.

Morph Code :: SaaS Boot Camp, aims to enable participants to take advantage of global opportunities in the Software as a Service (SaaS) industry through participation in a series of workshops this March and next. Open to three- to five-member teams of students and prospective technopreneurs, the workshop will also provide a venue for networking with potential partners and investors.

"SaaS applications are gaining ground as a reasonable alternative to purchasing software licenses," said Morph Labs chief executive officer David Abramowski. "To leverage this growth and to enable developers to overcome the barrier to entry into SaaS, Morph has built a dynamic end-to-end platform that enables developers to simplify the way they deploy, deliver, and manage web applications."

Morph Code is an Asiawide initiative that will launch in the Philippines March 29, 2008. The event will commence at Ateneo de Manila University with an intensive one-day workshop.

"This is a great opportunity for creative IT professionals and students with Web 2.0 ideas to obtain funding and technology support for the development and deployment of their concepts, particularly in the areas of e-Government, e-Health, and eLearning," said Winston Damarillo, executive chairman, Morph Labs.

Damarillo explained that the kickoff workshop intends to demonstrate how increasingly popular SaaS applications development can be leveraged to grow a Web 2.0 business. It will also introduce participants to Morph Accelerator, Morph Labs’ "revolutionary new age software factory" designed to help IT professionals develop and successfully launch Web 2.0 and SaaS applications.

He said workshop participants will acquire valuable insights into core business development skills including generating great ideas, developing and refining a business development strategy, and pursuing global opportunities for SaaS businesses.

The second phase of the event is open to all attendees who take part in the initial workshop. Participants will pitch their ideas to a panel of expert judges in three- to four-minute elevator pitches on April 5. Teams that advance to the third and final stage will then be asked to deliver a closed-door oral presentation detailing how they plan to execute and deploy their Web 2.0 ideas. Some projects may be eligible for financial and mentoring support through the Morph Accelerator.

The by-invitation final presentations will take place May 3, 2008.

Abramowski said Morph Code has already drawn the interest of a diverse group of potential participants from school organizations, software companies, software professionals, the government sector, and individual entrepreneurs in small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

"Innovation is a core value at Morph Labs, Inc. and is also the principle driver of software not as a product but as a service," said Damarillo. "We want to reward innovation by helping proponents turn their innovative ideas into reality, first, through knowledge sharing in a workshop environment, and then by empowering them through funding and access to technology."

Launched last month, Morph Application Platform provides ISVs, entrepreneurs and businesses with an integrated service delivery and management platform for Web 2.0 applications. It is powered by Amazon Web Services. It provides an on-demand elactic infrastructure capable of growing and shrinking to meet the demands of the application.

Damarillo explained, "It will accelerate SaaS adoption by lowering the technical and economic barriers related to SaaS deployments. To the entrepreneur – he gets the best available technology to get his ideas to market. Indeed, simplifying his innovations."

By using the Morph Application Platform, developers can focus on business logic, application presentation and strategic differentiators allowing them to innovate, not admistrate.