Extentia’s X24 Hackathon: Season 7! 

Extentia, a Merkle Company, hosted its seventh annual 24-hour hackathon themed "Minds Innovate, AI Elevates" from December 1 to 2, 2023. The focus was on integrating cutting-edge AI tools to enhance the solutions being developed. The hackathon pushed the boundaries of each team’s abilities as they collaborated to develop solutions that resonate with Extentia's commitment to “delivering confidence” using the latest technology and tools. 

 

What is X24? 

X24, Extentia's annual 24-hour hackathon, is an exhilarating convergence of human creativity and advanced technologies across different spheres. The event brings together six dynamic teams, each comprising diverse talents from all over the company. Over the span of 24 hours, these teams engage in a high-stakes hackathon, tasked with developing inventive solutions that leverage state-of-the-art technologies and tools. The hackathon not only showcases the teams’ skills, but also underlines Extentia's commitment to staying at the forefront of technological advancements. Each challenge statement and solution presented is inspired by real-world challenges faced by businesses today. 

 

The X24 Teams 

This year's hackathon, like every season, invited Extentians from across the company, spanning different departments and bringing a variety of skill sets to the table. With their unique perspectives, experiences, and talents, the teams were able to brainstorm, come together, and successfully overcome challenges to build an innovative solution. 

 

Mini Events 

In preparation for the main event, Extentia organized comprehensive training sessions and preliminary activities such as a Walkathon, a Creathon, and the AI Scavenger Hunt. The training sessions familiarized Extentians with the various facets of AI tools, including BA/QA, image and text generation, and more. These initiatives effectively primed the teams for the intensive coding session at the main event. Throughout the preparation phase, active involvement from AI enthusiasts infused the atmosphere with energy and collaboration, embodying the dynamic spirit of X24. 

 

Challenge Statements 

Each team had a unique challenge statement to build an answer for. The challenge statements were as follows: 

 

AMWELL: 

There is a known problem of medical infrastructure and access across the globe and particularly in rural areas. AMWELL is meant to deliver a mobile/web platform that brings together a network of clinics and doctors/physicians available at these clinics. The team had to use Al to help rural users report medical issues and find care in a systematic and easy manner. 

 

CHEFBOT: 

“Green Basket” was looking for an innovative way to boost their sales on their e-commerce website. They planned to run an online marketing campaign to this effect as well. The Vice President of sales at Green Basket wanted to develop an Al chef bot to help with generating more sales and collecting customer data. 

 

FINBOT: 

Finance market leader Jolly Finance (JF) was looking at optimizing its lead management system using Al (FINBOT). The institution wished to develop a financial advisor chatbot that can take over lead management efficiently. 

 

MYEYE: 

Using technology to aid visually disabled individuals has made significant progress in recent years. Moreover, using Al to accelerate the use of technology to help the visually disabled can be transformational in improving quality of life. MYEYE was meant to pull together a range of AI capabilities around image recognition, speech recognition, prediction, and analytics to solve multiple daily problems for the visually challenged. 

 

PLANBOT: 

An event planning company, Happy Events (HE), needed an AI-assisted chatbot (PLANBOT) to help with organizing events specifically for customers’ needs and special requirements. PLANBOT needed to understand what customers wanted and what event options and venues were available, popular, trending, etc. 

 

STYLEMATE: 

The evolution of e-commerce sites has slowed recently. Most improvements are around usability and experience, cross-selling, affiliates, etc. The fashion category in e-commerce is rapidly growing and gaining ground with a new generation of buyers, with more disposable income, higher demands, more personalized requirements, and a deep connection with social media. STYLEMATE was to be built using AI to strengthen the e-commerce experience for fashion buyers and help shoppers make the right choices. 

 

Gurus and Mentors 

The six participating teams faced the challenge of building applications in under 24 hours with help from seasoned industry professionals, who served as their gurus and mentors. These experienced guides, with a wealth of industry insight, played a pivotal role in steering the teams towards creating effective and feasible solutions. Their mentorship not only accelerated the development process but also fostered an environment of learning and collaboration. 

 

Season 7 of Extentia’s X24 Hackathon took this idea in stride, with each challenge and solution taking a new AI-enabled future into account. With each new season, the scope of the X24 Hackathon grows, with more exciting challenges and solutions being developed each year. With a fantastic experience at X24 Season 7, the entire team at Extentia is already looking forward to the next season in anticipation. 

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About Merkle    

Merkle, a dentsu company, is a leading data-driven customer experience management (CXM) company that specializes in the delivery of unique, personalized customer experiences across platforms and devices. For more than 30 years, Fortune 1000 companies and leading nonprofit organizations have partnered with Merkle to maximize the value of their customer portfolios. The company's heritage in data, technology, and analytics forms the foundation for its unmatched skills in understanding consumer insights that drive hyper-personalized marketing strategies. Its combined strengths in consulting, creative, media, analytics, data, identity, CX/commerce, technology, and loyalty & promotions drive improved marketing results and competitive advantage. With more than 14,000 employees, Merkle is headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, with 50+ additional offices throughout the Americas, EMEA, and APAC. For more information, contact Merkle at 1-877-9-Merkle or visit www.merkle.com.  

  

About Extentia® Information Technology    

A global technology and services firm that helps clients transform and realize their digital strategies. With a unique Experience Centric Transformation approach, Extentia’s ground-breaking solutions are in the space of mobile, cloud, and design. The team is differentiated by an emphasis on excellent design skills that they bring to every project. Focused on enterprise mobility, cloud computing, and user experiences, Extentia strives to accomplish and surpass their customers’ business goals. The company’s inclusive work environment and culture inspire team members to be innovative and creative, and to provide clients with an exceptional partnership experience.  

www.extentia.com