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W&M releases mobile app for students, faculty, alumni, community members [The Virginia Gazette, Williamsburg :: ](Virginia Gazette (Williamsburg) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Sept. 08--WILLIAMSBURG -- The average William and Mary student connects to the college's network with three devices, according to administrators with William and Mary's Information Technology division. Only one of those devices, data analysis has shown, is an actual computer. That's why it made sense, administrators say, to offer a mobile app for the students that also appeals to other members of the college community, including faculty members, alumni and local residents who like to take advantage of events like shows, games and lectures that are open to the public. "We've had a website that was mobile friendly, that you could bookmark on your phone, to give you a lot of the services," said Courtney Carpenter, William and Mary's chief information officer, in an interview. "But one thing I noticed on the mobile site is you couldn't get into the IT services that you have to log into to use, such as our student system to look at your grades or see what classes you registered for." He added: "With the app, we can deliver those services to the phone. ... It kind of brings it more together in one place, more service-oriented. It is the way the industry is going." The app is being rolled out in two phases. According to Melissa Palacios, project and communications manager for the IT department, about 95 percent of the app's features have been rolled out. The college did a soft launch of the William and Mary App during on July 16 for the more than 1,500 new students to use as a guide through orientation. "Ideally we would have released 100 percent of it at the time, but we're in the process of finishing up the loose ends," Palacios said, referring to the college's Banner system for information management, the Blackboard system for course management and a segment to access campus dining services. Current features include extensive campus maps and directories event schedules, library accessibility, social media channels, local transportation information, and information on athletic teams, campus clubs and organizations. The college's IT staff said the app has been downloaded about 3,000 times so far, which suggests that even though the administration has not formally announced it, the app is starting to gain traction on campus. Palacios said the college has invested $88,000 in the app, including set-up costs and a three-year contract with the app's developer, Cambridge, Mass.-based Modo Labs. William and Mary is among the area's first schools to launch a mobile app. Walsingham Academy launched one in August, and the Williamsburg-James City school division offers a mobile app called ParentVUE to go with its new online student information system. Sampson can be reached at 757-345-2345. ___ (c)2014 The Virginia Gazette (Williamsburg, Va.) Visit The Virginia Gazette (Williamsburg, Va.) at www.vagazette.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |