Going digital: hackathon in the cloud

This month we are holding the SAS EMEA Hackathon in SAS Viya 2020, together with Intel, on the subject of ‘Together we can improve sustainability’. If I were discussing a normal hackathon, I would also have given a venue. However, this is not your standard hackathon, because this is completely digital.

Unlike many hackathons, the teams do not have to be together in time and space to participate. Instead, they can—and will—draw in skills from partners and organizations around the world. The use of cloud technology means that team members only need access to a computer.

We also specify that the teams must be working on new issues. This is not a way to publicize a finished piece of work. Each team has to come up with something new to explore. We have spent January in a series of webinars with teams, helping them to develop skills in SAS Viya, and to understand what they want to explore. They will now spend February developing solutions before presenting their ideas.

Global teams meeting virtually

This idea of teams from around the world may sound unlikely, but it really works. Last year, for example, we had a team working across the Nordic countries, with members in Stockholm, Oslo, and elsewhere in Norway. That’s already quite a challenge, but then they added some time zone issues, by having some team members in India as well. The first time the team members actually met in person was at the SAS Global Forum in Dallas, well after the hackathon itself!

The virtual nature of the hackathon has one huge advantage: the make-up of teams is very flexible. They work over a month, not a weekend. There are around 30 teams entered, and they have an average of five members. However, some teams have as few as three members and others may have 10 to 15 people. We are likely to see a huge variety of ways of breaking up the work, with the members of smaller teams doing a much wider range of tasks. This means that our partners are able to work the way they want, without us constraining them.

Working in the cloud

This virtual hackathon is made possible by the way that we use the technology. The first year that we ran the hackathon, we used SaasNow. The second year, we partnered with Microsoft Azure, and put the SAS Viya platform in the cloud. This year, we are making SAS Viya available through any of the main cloud providers. This means that our partners can choose their own cloud vendor, and still participate.

We simply deploy the software, and provide the support, this year together with Core Compete. Teams are given login credentials that provide access to all the necessary products in the cloud, and connections to open source and Python. These credentials will work for the full month, and it is up to teams what they use. The only other requirement is that they present their work at the end.

A digital presentation

A presentation is a standard part of any hackathon. Teams need a chance to explain their ideas to the jury, and showcase their solutions. The SAS Hackathon is unusual in that even the presentations are virtual. Teams are asked to create two videos. The first is shorter, like a pitch. We ask them to tell us the story, and explain their contribution to sustainability.

The second is longer, and provides more detail. We expect them to use this opportunity to tell us more about the question they have asked. We also want to hear about what data they used and the different approaches to modelling. Finally, of course, we ask them to explain how their solution could contribute to the UN Sustainability Goals.

These two videos will be judged by the jury. In other words, there will be no live presentation. The jury will look at the longer video and each person will pick their three favorites. We will also have a people’s vote, but the jury votes will be given more weight. We will then summarize the results from the two votes to make the final decision.

Meeting in person at the SAS Forums

The winners of the hackathon will be given two seats to the SAS Global Forum, and will also be invited to attend the Nordic SAS Forums . Just like last year’s winners, this may be the first time that the team members have met, and we look forward to introducing them to each other.

Meet our SAS Partners and read about their use-cases: