A host of future IT professionals got the chance to meet Microsoft founder Bill Gates and show him their ideas for innovative new software solutions.

Forty students from around the world travelled to Microsoft's Redmond headquarters in Washington, as part of the annual Imagine Cup.

The award is Microsoft's worldwide software design competition for students and teams from as far away as Egypt, Japan, France, Poland, Korea and the UK travelled to meet Mr Gates and show off their software solutions.

Teams had all designed software that could be used to help other learn and the quality of the entries suggested that there could be a host of skilled IT professionals entering the industry in the future.

ITworld.com reports that the UK's entry was a piece of software which should encourage people to get interested in computer programming. Bill Gates apparently thought it was "fantastic".

In his introduction to the event, Mr Gates said: "The magic of software can do far more amazing things than people imagine."

The Imagine Cup's winner will be decided in August, when one budding IT professional will win $25,000.