Twenty-five finalists from PwC's Canada's Digital Compass competition enter
final showdown

Top three ideas on how Canada can lead the future digital economy will be selected between April 27 and May 4

TORONTO, April 27 /CNW/ - More than 1,000 Canadian digital enthusiasts from across the country participated in Canada's Digital Compass, a national crowdsourcing competition hosted by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC), by voting, commenting and submitting their ideas on how Canada can best lead the future digital economy. As the Federal Government sources input to develop its long-awaited digital strategy, the debate and discussion that has taken place over the last six weeks at the Canada's Digital Compass site has become even more relevant and the Canadian digital community has one last chance to vote on their favourite ideas in the final showdown from April 27 to May 4, 2010 before the expert panel selects the overall top three winners.

The month-long competition generated nearly 70 ideas from five weekly competitions focused on technology, education, media production, connectivity and policy development. The submissions were as diverse as the topic areas, touching on current trends in mobile technology, digital literacy and education, user-generated media content, building Canada's broadband infrastructure and support for digital start-ups and entrepreneurs.

The winners will be selected by community and panel votes and will be measured by how well each idea aligns with the three measures of success - 1) economic potential, 2) fits Canada's capabilities and 3) reflects Canada's values. The top three winners will be awarded tickets to the Canada 3.0 conference at the University of Waterloo on May 10-11, 2010 where their submissions could be shared with attendees.

"We are thrilled with the turnout for Canada's Digital Compass and are amazed by the quality of the submissions," says Tracey Riley, partner and national leader of the Technology, Information, Communication and Entertainment (TICE) practice of PwC. "This program helps demonstrate the passion and optimism many Canadians have in our nation's ability to drive the digital industry in the future."

For more information and to view the ideas appearing in the final showdown, please visit: www.pwc.com/ca/compass.

About PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

PricewaterhouseCoopers (www.pwc.com) provides industry-focused assurance, tax and advisory services to build public trust and enhance value for its clients and their stakeholders. More than 163,000 people in 151 countries across our network share their thinking, experience and solutions to develop fresh perspectives and practical advice. In Canada, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (www.pwc.com/ca) and its related entities have more than 5,300 partners and staff in offices across the country.

"PricewaterhouseCoopers" refers to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an Ontario limited liability partnership, or, as the context requires, the PricewaterhouseCoopers global network or other member firms of the network, each of which is a separate legal entity.

For further information: Jessica Draker, [phone], [email protected]; Kiran Chauhan, [phone], [email protected]