New program offers cell phone extras

Your cell phone just got a whole lot cooler.

Thanks to the beginning of a successful pilot program this summer, the University is ready to partner with Rave Wireless to give your mobile device an added campus kick.

During the summer Student Body President James Allred and other students were given cell phones to borrow so they could play with a host of new text-messaging features in the works.

“It definitely kept me occupied,” Allred said.

Through the program students will have access to messages and updates delivered by SLICE – an online calendar of events that is sponsored by student government – UNC emergency broadcast alerts, University directory and e-mail assistance, and possibly Blackboard notices.

Most cell phones available on the market today with color screens will be equipped with the technology necessary for the program to operate, said Brian Payst, director of technology and systems support for the division of student affairs.

The contract will be paid for by University Career Services, the Kenan-Flagler Business School and the Department of Housing and Residential Education. Final details have not been solidified.

The ballpark figure for what students will have to pay for the service is $10 a month, Payst said.

“You can type in someone’s name, and their contact information comes up automatically.”

And for student group leaders who constantly find themselves changing meeting times or room locations on campus at the last minute, flexibility is an added bonus.

“You don’t have to be constantly carrying your laptop around,” Payst said. “It’s providing that information link and makes information dissemination to a greater number of people faster.”

The cell phone network also will be prime for those who forget the location of their meeting. Students can use a gateway Web page to tag what campus organizations or events they would like to tap into before receiving the service. They then can access key information at their convenience.

“We’re calling it a pilot for the next year on campus,” Payst said.

Available to graduate and undergraduate students, professors, faculty and staff, the program will undergo intensive trials this fall as technicians explore how the service can be best utilized on a large campus.

“We’re looking at how it could enhance the experience for a new student on campus,” Payst said. “This is a big place, and freshmen want to fit in.”

After exploring the heart of campus during orientation, Ashlyn Lovett, a freshman from New Jersey, said she didn’t think the technology would be worth the added expense.

“From what I’ve seen, there are computers everywhere,” she said. “If you need to check something, you can just go to a computer and look it up.”

When the town finalizes its placement of a Global Positioning System in local buses by the end of October, Rave Wireless will provide route notices and updates about the physical location of the buses students select.

If that isn’t enough to whet a student’s tech appetite, the SLICE Web site will be enhanced in the coming weeks, Payst said. In addition to significantly speeding up the server, students will be able to review a week’s worth of events as the default option instead of a month’s outlook.

Rave Features

Updates on meeting locations for hundreds of social, university and student groups
Access to course announcements
Real-time, location-specific tracking of bus routes
Broadcast alerts and mobile e-mail access

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.