The SXSW official Mobile App Hackathon is due to take place in just a few more days beginning on March 9, 2012. The event is being hosted by AT&T and also Health 2.0 and it will all take place at the Austin Convention Center over Friday and Saturday.

The Mobile App Hackathon starts at 6pm on March 9 and lasts for 24 hours. Developers, UI/UX designers and researchers will be challenged by AT&T and Health 2.0 to build mobile health applications. When the event kicks off there will be speakers and then a session pitching ideas. Developers will then have 24 hours to come up with prototype health app ideas utilizing AT&T healthcare API’s. Whilst in the process they will benefit from the technical knowledge of AT&T along with Health 2.0’s industry insight.

Benefits of taking part in the mobile app hacking contest include having the opportunity to demonstrate talent, making connections with others in the industry and gaining more experience of the health mobile market. The health submissions will all be appraised by AT&T and Health 2.0 and there will also be a judging panel with celebrity guest Lance Briggs, the Chicago Bears Pro-Bowl linebacker, according to Marketwatch. Apart from the other advantages of taking part in the hacking competition there will also be prizes and cash on offer, worth over $45,000, including HTC Jetstream tablets and Elevate devices from Sierra Wireless.

The health care app that comes out on top will be entered as an AT&T funded startup and also shown at Health 2.0’s Spring Fling Matchpoint Boston. This will certainly be an intriguing proposition for developers and designers and it will be interesting to see what they can come up with over the course of the 24-hour challenge. Are you a mobile application developer or designer? Will you be taking part in the Mobile App Hackathon?