Lancaster University takes the fast and flexible route with campusM™
A clear focus on enhancing student experience has been the principal driver for Lancaster University to provide mobile access to university services through one convenient app. campusM™ by oMbiel Ltd, a specifically designed integrated mobile app for universities, was selected and tasked with deploying a fully functioning system within a twelve week period.
Increasingly aware of mobile integration of services by universities around the UK and the exponential use of smartphone apps by students, Lancaster University set out to see what was available. Options included developing locally from an open source web-based solution that downgrades to a mobile browser, a proprietary app from a virtual learning environment (VLE) provider and campusM™.
Complete management buy-in for the need to implement, as quickly as possible, assisted the process to select the most suitable option without delay. campusM™ was selected as a fully featured product that allowed flexibility of integration and a fast deployment time of within 12 weeks.
Chris Dixon, Head of Service Delivery and Operations, Lancaster University, explains, “campusM™ stood out for us as it needed very little local development resource and it could meet our tight deadline for Fresher Week availability. The product has clearly been developed around experience and understanding of university needs and has a range of ‘out of the box’ apps like campus map locations, pocket guide, library integration and timetable. The campusM™ developers confirmed that as long as they were provided with data, or if Lancaster required them to help writing data, it would be complete within the 12 weeks – and it was”.
“In addition we bought the App Extension Kit (AEK) which further increases the flexibility of campusM™. It allows us to write our own custom apps but using the campusM™ framework. We’ve already launched our own student finance applet which allows students to analyse their outstanding credit payments and invoices, and we’ve also developed a bus timetable applet which takes data from Traveline providing locations of nearest bus stops, arrival times and routes.”
The AEK allows the University to develop one set of code for custom apps and the campusM™ framework allows it to run on any of the campusM™ mobile platforms including– Apple iOS®, Blackberry® and Android – and the web. Running as a web based version, as well as mobile, keeps on-line registration straight-forward for students.
“The focus throughout has remained on enhancing the students experience and from the initial commitment to use campusM™ we have involved students in its delivery,” continues Chris Dixon, “User focus groups have been held to understand what is required and what needs to be developed for the system. We are still implementing new custom applets as a result of these focus groups – a recent development is an applet that integrates the timetable with the sports centre so that squash courts, for instance, can be booked.
“It will be interesting for us to understand with the use of new campusM™ back office analytics what are the most used apps and which are the most popular platforms including the use of web over the mobile platforms. It’s still early days for Lancaster University with this new facility and we’ve yet to realise more useful apps but campusM™’s flexible frameworks such as ‘Alerts’ provide the opportunity to further improve organisational functions and enhance our students’ experience.”
Ref: oM-010-A
Issue date: November 2011
Photography and graphics: Direct to press room – link – newswire - tags
Issued by:
Jon Oliver Communication Ltd. +44-(0)1902-757115
Further information:
Hugh Griffiths, Managing Director, oMbiel Limited
Wolverhampton Science Park, WV10 9TG
e-mail: hugh.griffiths@ombiel.com : +44 (0)845 37 126 37
Visit our web site: www.campusm.com
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