OPINION

The Age of the Smart Cell Phone

By Linda L. Briggs

EDITOR's NOTE: Terry Calhoun is off this week. His column will resume next week. The following guest column originally appeared in Campus Technology magazine.

As text messaging overtakes cell networks, converged devices emerge and e-mail moves to the keypad.

Less than 10 years after becoming a critical workday tool for most of us, college e-mail may be on the verge of becoming yesterday’s technology. In fact, in the business world, analysts and others predict that the use of instant messaging will surpass e-mail sometime next year—if not sooner. The push will come faster on college campuses, where new consumer-side technologies often find their first footholds. Any college administrator can attest to the popularity of IM-ing. Read more

IT NEWS

DOJ Gives Nod to Blackboard, WebCT

The US Department of Justice announced clearance Monday for Blackboard and WebCT to complete their merger. (C2 from Campus Technology) Read more

Plan to Charge Businesses for e-Mail Triggers Outcry

AOL and Yahoo! plan to implement 'certified email' at a cost to senders of $2-3 per thousand messages. Few others are happy about this. (CNN Money) Read more

MIT Will Help Cambridge Build a Free Wireless Network Using a New, Cheaper Technology

The service will be a basic level of Internet access using mesh technology and will be free to all. (The Chronicle of Higher Education) Read more

The University of Montana Joins the iPod Migration

Forty music students in a History of music class received an iPod loaded with class materials, seven CDs, and one textbook. (Montana Kaimin Online) Read more

RESOURCES

Digitizing the Treasures

The University of Texas holds vast and diverse library and museum collections, research and scholarly materials, and many other knowledge assets. What if they could be leveraged among all the citizens of the State of Texas and beyond? This is the vision underlying UTOPIA, an expanding knowledge gateway to university resources conceived in 2002 and launched in 2004 (C2 from Campus Technology) Read more

DEALS, CONTRACTS, AWARDS

Prairie View A&M Said to Reduce Costs with Uplogix

Uplogix, a provider of automated network support solutions, announced that Prairie View A&M University, the second oldest public college in Texas, has reduced its network support costs by nearly 60 percent using the Envoy network management appliance from Uplogix. (Uplogix News) Read more

San Diego State Signs with Horizon Wimba

Horizon Wimba announced that San Diego State University (CA) has selected its Live Classroom and Voice Tools solutions to enhance its Blackboard courses and other online education offerings. SDSU intends to use Horizon Wimba's tools to hold live online classes and office hours and to add online voice into most courses taught through its Language Acquisition Resource Center, according to the announcement. (Horizon Wimba News) Read more

University of Miami Benefits from Office Depot Contribution

The University of Miami's (FL) Anthony Burns Center for Advanced Supply Chain Management, will expand its capabilities for faculty, students and the business community thanks to a $500,000 contribution from Office Depot, the university announced. This contribution is a component of Office Depot's new $4.5 million Education and Diversity Partnership Program involving UM, Florida International University and Florida Atlantic University as well as the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities and the United Negro College Fund. Including state matching funds, the full impact of the program totals $7.5 million. (University of Miami News) Read more