Florida State University (FSU) is the first Higher Ed institution in the state of Florida to launch Mobile Central. As they prepared to launch their app, Jay Wirth, Director of Digital Media and Debbie Kelly, Assistant Director, Web Services, took a few minutes out of their hectic schedules to tell us about their decision to go mobile, how Mobile Central will help set them apart from other institutions, and what it was like working with the Mobile Central team.
Q: So, why Blackboard? A: (Debbie) We already had a good relationship with Blackboard because we use Blackboard Learn(TM), so it was an easy decision. Also, with Blackboard you have the ability to run the app on multiple devices. That was really attractive to us. Q: Florida State will be the first Higher Ed institution in Florida to implement Mobile Central. Do you think this differentiates you from other Florida universities? A: (Jay) Oh, definitely. With Blackboard not only will we be able to get [Mobile Central] on the most popular mobile devices like the iPhone® and BlackBerry®, but if you have a mobile device that can access the Mobile Web, you can also access the app. And that is huge with respect to who we can connect with; it gives us another opportunity to connect with incoming students and people who want to stay in touch with the university. And that's just the icing on the cake because the application itself is wonderful. Q: What apps in particular are you most excited about? Which ones will most benefit your students and broader community? A: ( Jay) Maps will probably be the most utilized [app] of them all. And with Places being a part of that now, and Transit coming later this year to FSU, I think that will definitely be the one that everybody's going to be using the most. (Debbie) Just being able to look up a name in the Directory of a peer on campus is going to be great for us. But as Jay said, I think Maps is going to be great, especially as freshmen come in and are looking for classes. This is something that they just have not had before, even on our traditional website. Q: Are there any other apps that you guys are considering rolling out over the next few months? A: (Jay) Absolutely. Transit is one of them. We're working with FSU parking services now to work on our bus routes and with the city on getting their bus information. (Debbie) Calendars are my big priority; getting more calendars up, trying to include as many departments, institutes and centers on campus as we can. (Jay) We want to offer [Tours] too so that students – new students or students and their parents who are coming to visit the campus – can actually take a tour themselves and explore the university. (Debbie) Our University Relations group has a “Legacy Walk” that I don’t think a lot of people know about now. There’s an obvious place for us to use this feature to promote the walk.A: (Jay) We want to be a cutting-edge, leading university. We felt that going mobile was a great way to demonstrate that, being able to offer our students, faculty and alums a way to stay connected and be informed about what's happening on our campus from anywhere they are.
Q: How did the implementation process work?
A: ( Debbie) When we first started this project and received the implementation guide, it was so easy to break the different pieces apart and give it to who needed it. The Mobile Central team was so helpful and patient as we were jumping into something that we don't know a lot about. We really appreciate how everything has just been so smooth. (Jay) Every time we've had a question or needed to clarify something, it's been an almost immediate response from the team. They are very understanding and easy to work with. (Debbie) And they're just so upbeat and fun. They're so full of enthusiasm for the product and for what we’re doing. The FSU app is now live on the iPhone and Mobile Web, with BlackBerry coming later this year. FSU is launching with eight core Mobile Central apps: Directory, Athletics, Calendars, Maps, Videos, News, Images, and Places.
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