MICROSOFT TITLE SPONSOR FOR 2004 TOPCODER OPEN TOURNAMENT.

(Full text of a statement, contact details below)

GLASTONBURY, Conn., Aug. 2 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- TopCoder, Inc., the leader in online programming competition, skills assessment and competitive software development, today announced Microsoft, (Nasdaq: MSFT), as the title sponsor for the 2004 TopCoder Open. The 2004 TopCoder Open will bring the world's finest professional and collegiate programmers together in competition for international ranking, celebrity and a share of the $150,000 prize purse for Algorithm, Component Design and Development categories. The Onsite Finals will take place November 11th and 12th at the Santa Clara Marriott in Santa Clara, CA. Full registration details and rules are provided at: http://www.topcoder.com/tco04

"The Microsoft Development Team seeks passionate people who think big and dream big," said Kristen Roby, Senior Director, College Recruiting. "TopCoder's tournaments bring people and technology together in a powerful setting that highlights innovation, creativity and exploration. Microsoft is excited to be involved with such a highly competitive event."

The initial online qualification rounds will begin September 7th and continue through September 29th, with the top 32 competitors advancing to the Onsite Finals in Santa Clara, CA on November 11th and 12th. Contestants can compete in the Algorithm or Component competitions, or both. Cash prizes for the 2004 TopCoder Open will comprise $100,000 for the component tournament and $50,000 for the algorithm contest for an overall prize purse worth $150,000.

"The TopCoder Open is the premier online software development event. Developers around the world will be writing code to solve complex problems and building commercial grade software, striving to reach the onsite finals," said ...