1. Michel Biage & Robert Sawler January 13, 2010
uoMobile: Enhancing the University Experience with Mobile Technology Educause Mid-Atlantic, Baltimore
Michel Biage & Robert Sawler
January 13, 2010

2. Copyright
Copyright Michel Biage & Robert Sawler, 2010 This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the author. 2

3. Overview University of Ottawa Background Why Mobile?
Drivers and Objectives
Planning the Product
Evolution of the Design
Starting Block / Initial Direction
Implementation of uoMobile
Product Adoption
Phase 1: Engagement of Staff / Leadership
Phase 2: Engagement of Students / Early Adopters
uoMobile at OUF: An Early Success Story
Future: From Early Adopters to General Users
Brief Technical Overview
Lessons Learned in Year 1
Questions 3

4. The University of Ottawa
Located in Ottawa, Ontario: Canada’s capital city
36,000+ students
Students study in their language of choice: French or English
Seventh in research intensity among Canada’s Universities
Students and faculty from over 150 countries
360+ undergraduate programs and 120+ graduate programs in 10 faculties 4

5. Why Mobile? Drivers for creating a Mobile architecture.
It has a good buzz factor and seemed like a cool project to work on.
Despite Canada being slower to adopt upcoming mobile technology, the University of Ottawa wanted to be ready and at the front of the curve instead of playing catch-up.
We had recently implemented a Text Messaging service and wanted to continue to explore options in that space.
We want to be where the students are. 5 5

6. Coffee Line at Hill of Beans
Capture and Retain
Today’s mobile environment resembles the early days of the Web…plenty of experimentation but uncertain impact on the core mission.
1991
Trojan Room Coffee Pot
2009
Coffee Line at Hill of Beans
For initial planning for uoMobile, we wanted to get past the experimentation and provide real value to our end users that would keep them coming back. 6 6

7. uoMobile Objectives
A mobile-enhanced website designed to be browsed on all smart phones
Audience should include prospective students, current students, and employees.
A simple base mobile architecture that allows us to do agile and quick future development.
Not an App!! We don’t want to limit ourselves to only one type of technology. 7

8. Starting Block / Initial Direction
As the project came together, the team identified a range of key environmental challenges that would have to be addressed by any solution
Underutilization of online services
Perception on campus of below average support
Variety of hand-set types in use (one shoe won’t fit all) 8

9. Product Adoption
University of Ottawa was pursuing multiple objectives and audiences in creating a mobile campus portal. The challenge was developing a roadmap that would address all of them.
Driving Questions
Phase 1: How to engage staff/leadership?
Phase 2: How to engage students/early adopters?
Future: How to build on early success to begin changing the campus?
Overall Approach
Phased engagement of stakeholders
Build on existing services/technology
Drive towards measurable goals 9 9

10. uoMobile Design Evolution
Initial Mock-up
Feb 2009
Executive POC
May 2009
uoMobile Launch
Sept 2009
Working in partnership with FairChoice Systems enabled the university to go from a mobile mockup to proof of concept to 2 distinct full working sites with a flexible architecture within 7 months. 10

11. Phase 1: Executive POC Initial Mock-up Feb 2009 Executive POC May 2009
uoMobile Launch
Sept 2009 11

12. 1. Engagement of Staff / Leadership
Challenge: Lots of conversations on campus about “mobile” but not clear direction on how, why, what…
Demonstrate Agility
Core functionality ready in two months
Available on iPhone, Blackberry, etc.
Make It Useful for Staff
Staff/department directory
Events calendar
Emergency notification
Show Short Term Impact
Plan to launch at Ontario’s largest admissions fair as a way to increase the number of prospects 12 12

13. Phase 2: Launch to Public
Initial Mock-up
Feb 2009
Executive POC
May 2009
uoMobile Launch
Sept 2009 13

14. 2. Engagement of Students/Early Adopters
The focus of the second phase is to provide high-value time-sensitive mobile services to meet the expectations of tech savvy students.
Focus on Early Adopters
Launch with the tools a power-user would expect on a mobile site
Avoid any “group adoption” dependencies (e.g., community features)
Time Sensitive Problem Solving
Waiting in line at the campus Starbucks during a snow storm…
Extend Existing Web/Portal Services
Student information system
Talisma CRM for prospecting
Campus directory servers 14 14

15. uoMobile Functionality
Current Functionality
About the University
Calendar of Events
Info Request
Emergency Contact
My Schedule
Directory Search
Shuttle Bus Schedule
Useful mobile Links
Message Banner 15

16. Phase 2: uoMobile OUF Initial Mock-up Feb 2009 Executive POC May 2009
uoMobile OUF Launch
Sept 2009 16

17. uoMobile – OUF: An Early Success
Problem
Needed to collect prospect contact information in a easy / interesting method at a large recruiting fair in Toronto (OUF).
Solution
Create a Prospect-Specific uoMobile site for the Ontario Universities Fair
Primary objective of site is to electronically collect prospect information
Secondary objective was to provide prospects with recruiting information such as:
Quick slide show
Promotional Video
uOttawa quick facts
Time and Location of next uOttawa presentation 17

18. uoMobile – Mobility for Recruitment
Sign up to Win
Why uOttawa?
Video
Slideshow
Visit uoMobile
Based on the uoMobile architecture, this new, recruiting-specific site (along with the hardware solution) was developed in a very short time frame (between 1 and 2 months).
In order to ensure stability of the site, a wireless network was setup at the fair to cover the whole conference area.
Anyone who tried to connect to our wireless site would automatically be directed the uoMobile Recruiting site. 18 18

19. Prospect to Admitted Comes Full Circle
Once in recruiting campaigns, goal is to convert prospects to applicants and then ultimately to admit.
Collected information is imported automatically into the university’s CRM application.
While in the admission process, candidates can sign up for a text messaging service which will text their offer of admission when a decision is made.
Process initially started on uoMobile comes full circle when Applicants receives a congratulations of admittance via text
Prospects provide contact information via uoMobile. 19 19

20. Benefits Realized
Easy Collection of Contact Information
Over a 3 day fair over 2700 prospects (+1200 paper) were captured via the mobile site (compared with 2300 via paper forms the previous year)
Since the info was collected and imported automatically, no manual work required to put it into our CRM.
Unique Use of Relatable Technology
iTouches still have a buzz factor. Kiosks to browse the site and enter information were very popular and no other university had anything similar.
Broadcasting our own Visit_uOttawa network enticed attendees to stop by who might not have.
Text message allows us to communicate quickly and in a format that is familiar with current group of applicants. 20

21. 2010: From Early Adopters to General Users
The focus of the third phase will be “crossing the chasm” to from “early adopters” to “general users” with time-sensitive alerts that draw students in, and content that keeps them coming back for more.
New Scenarios
Requested a library reserve
Waitlisted for a popular course
Changed a grade
New Functionality
Integration with library/reserves
Info request routes to any help desk
RSS for personalized campus news
Push messaging integration with Talisma for admissions, etc. 21

22. 2010: Expand Service to the Full Campus
Moving beyond adoption, to addressing areas where students are making unnecessary trips to on-site service locations.
High-Value “Push” Services
Registration confirmation
Grade posting
Refund check availability
Frequently Used “Pull” Services
Student & staff directory
Library catalogue search
Library reserves availability
Other Transactions
Payment of bill
Recharge of campus card
Space reservations 22 22

23. (CRM, EMS, LDAP, SIS, Library)
The Technical Slide
The uoMobile team has followed an incremental agile approach for both its adoption strategy and technology. Long-term plans must accommodate whatever replaces the iPhone/Kindle/Blackberry in the next few years.
Today’s Infrastructure
Roadmap for 2010
Mobile Front End
(VM Linux, PHP)
Mobile Front End
(VM Linux, Drupal)
Sources
(CRM, EMS)
Security
(Shibboleth)
Web Services (SOA)
SIS via Direct SQL
(Natural, DB2)
Sources
(CRM, EMS, LDAP, SIS, Library)
Direct SQL to existing systems
Light-weight html front end
Replace direct SQL with SOA
CMS/portal for front end 23

24. Lessons Learned from Our First Year
Success factors from the first phases of the project are driving the next round of enhancements to uoMobile
Sources: Leverage your existing technology infrastructure
Scenario: Base the design on real unmet needs (e.g., blizzard, waiting for admissions decision)
Location: For a mobile solution where is as important as who (e.g., at the library, on the bus, in line at Starbucks, at a fair)
Services: Deliver value at each stage
Location
Library
Bus
Starbucks
Scenario
Prospects
Students
Staff
Sources
SIS
Talisma
Shibboleth
Services
Directory
Calendar
Info Request 24

25. Questions Extra Information: uOttawa uoMobile Press Release
FairChoice Systems
m.uottawa.ca 25 25

26. Contact Us!
Please feel free to contact us if you are interested in bringing this technology to your institution.
Michel Biage
Assistant Director Student IT Services
University of Ottawa
Robert Sawler
Group Chief, Student IT Services
Bernard Kluger
Chief Executive Officer
FairChoice Systems 26 26