Background Current Mobile Environment: Built on Banner Mobile Connection platform In production since May 2011 of 19

Background (Continued) Banner Mobile Connection: FREE Four virtual windows servers (PROD and TEST) Released to iTunes and Google Play Uses Ruby Access Banner for class/professor information, grades, holds, cashnet, classes, directory. Access to Google Calendar (iCal) for events Access to RSS / Twitter for other news

Background (continued) Stats on usage over One month Directory: 623 Schedule: 3516 Grades: 856 CASHNet Cashiering: 680 Hold Service: 333

Why so Low? Issues with Adoption Students unaware of the app. App is not as responsive as ‘normal’ apps. App missing requested functions (email, etc.) Inconsistent feeds / iCal updates

Technical Issues New languages (Grails and Ruby) to learn New developer / testing environment setup Open ports between servers and DB / Firewall Permgen errors (Server JVM/Service memory) Branding (graphics creation and display) Multiple device layouts (Android and Apple) Low support by Sungard (Community forum)

New Direction Integration of 2 applications: Blackboard Mobile Learn Ellucian Mobile

BlackBoard Mobile Blackboard Mobile will provide: Campus Directory Course Schedule Campus Map Campus Photos Campus publicly accessible Athletics News feeds Events Emergency App Library

Ellucian Mobile Ellucian Mobile will provide: Individual class schedule for a term Grades Holds Registration (when it comes out)

Integration Issue BlackBoard Mobile can not call out directly to other mobile apps: Resolution: Use "intent-filters" to call/open another app Result: Both apps will need to be downloaded by the student.

The NEW Ellucian Mobile App 2 Versions: Platform Edition (version implemented by MSU Denver) Application Edition MSU Denver is implementing the Platform Edition to make modifications Uses same Tomcat servers, adds Cloud server Still uses Grails for server Uses native iOS / Android code Limited to full customization of app Costs $$$

Ellucian Mobile: Version differences Application Edition: Hosted by Ellucian No Source Code Entire application resides on Ellucian Cloud servers – no local Mobile servers Least amount of control Costs less annually Not Sure: What kind of link used to get appropriate data to the cloud How would a school get customizations?

Ellucian Mobile: Version differences Platform Edition: Includes Source code Requires Setup of Own Mobile Servers on site Still requires some configuration on the Ellucian cloud server Not sure… Where is the application downloaded from by users? What is the role of the cloud server when we have our own local server? Where do customizations reside?

Issues Resolved Cloud configuration. Documentation unclear Server configuration. Documentation unclear PERMGEN issue resolved once and for all Configuring Android developer platform (Platform edition) Ports, DB connection, server creation already in place with prior app.

Issues outstanding Setup of XCode development environment. Branding and layout Publishing and notifying students of NEW app

Improvements from Connect Ellucian support Faster response on App Local Grails server works out of the box

Shortcomings of Platform Not free Documentation needs improvement More functions desired (IE: notifications) App layout and design more static

Current status Both servers (Platform and Connection) up Connection app still available in iTunes / Play Android version of Platform tested / working

Future Adding Notification possible Adding other BANNER features possible Adding virtual reality is possible

Questions? Rick Beck beckr@msudenver.edu Ed Jacobs jacobse@msudenver.edu Mohamed Elshakh elshakh@msudenver.edu John Warren warrenjo@msudenver.edu