Hopefully by now we have educated our faculty and staff to the dangers of traveling with a laptop containing sensitive information--say Social Security numbers or a faculty member's latest patentable research. But have we been educating them about the security risks of smart phones?
SMobile Systems has released an antivirus program for phones running Android, the Google-developed operating system. The company already offers similar solutions for BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Symbian, Palm, and iPhone devices.
Omnilert has integrated its e2Campus emergency notification system with Twitter. This enables e2Campus clients to push e2Campus alerts automatically and simultaneously to their schools' Twitter accounts without having to log in to their Twitter account separately.
Rave Wireless will be adding BlackBerry devices to the roster of mechanisms by which alerts can be sent out through Rave Alert, its notification service. The company has also added AOL's AIM Express instant messaging service to its list of supported text receiving methods.
The University of Pittsburgh has signed on for Verizon Notification Services to communicate to the campus community.
Under an agreement with Sprint, medical students at the University of Louisville now will be able to use wireless technology to enhance their education and improve the clinical care of patients. Existing and incoming students will have the option of purchasing a discounted Sprint Windows Mobile smartphone that includes medical applications, such as ePocrates and medical and drug reference databases. The phone will also allow users to access the university's e-mail program and address book.
Central State University has deployed Leader Alert, an emergency notification system, for use at its Wilberforce and Dayton, OH campuses of more than 2,100 students. The communications service allows for simultaneous alert of the campus community by telephone, texting, and e-mail.
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore has begun deploying a voice over IP-based unified communications platform from NEC Unified Solutions.
We're about to be soaked in promotions for the new BlackBerry Storm device, but buried in the hype is something interesting for Java developers: a new set of dev tools for creating and testing mobile-savvy applications for Research In Motion's (RIM's) newest handhelds, including the Storm, Bold and Pearl Flip smart phones.
Temple University in Philadelphia has deployed Crossbeam Systems' X-Series security platform to secure campus-wide communications. The X-Series, Crossbeam's highest-performing security switch, consists of a "chassis" from which other vendors' applications can be run. The Crossbeam hardware facilitates the consolidation, virtualization, and simplification of security services delivery.