Indiana U Switches Mobile Frameworks, Moves to Kuali

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 08/30/11
Indiana U mobile app built on the Kuali mobile framework
Indiana U mobile app built on the Kuali mobile framework

Following close on the June 2011 launch of a consortium-supported open source platform for campus mobility, Indiana University has replaced the software it uses to deliver information services to mobile devices. Version 2.0 of IU Mobile has been built using Kuali Mobility Enterprise, software created by a consortium of universities and companies.

The new mobile framework used by Indiana U is the product of a Kuali Foundation open source project. Participants also included the University of Cambridge, Cornell, and U Michigan, as well as vendors HTC Global Services and VivanTech.

The Bloomington institution first offered a mobile platform in 2009, built on the open source MIT Mobile Web framework. That initial edition, which catered to mobile Web, included bus schedules, news, events, maps, a people directory, computer labs availability, and a feedback function. The following year Indiana U released a version for Apple's iOS devices, which was followed a few months later by a Google Android release.

The latest edition includes support for "My Classes," a mashup of student data with Sakai's Oncourse, an online collaboration and learning environment. Also, with the new release, each Indiana U campus can tailor its information channels, and all previous IU Mobile services--including athletics scores, class schedules, course content, and bus routes--will be accessible through the new service. The new system will simplify the process that lets users add services to their mobile devices.

The largest technology change in the framework is its support for HTML5. The language includes syntax specifically for adding multimedia components to mobile without the need for third-party plugins, which means sites coded with HTML5 can run audio and video natively. The standard also addresses persistent storage, offline app caching, and geolocation, among other features.

According to Brian McGough, Indiana U's director of enterprise software and project leader, the use of HTML5 means that services can be developed once for all mobile devices, adapting to particular sizes and capabilities. "[The university] can now focus its energy on creating valuable information services, rather than chasing all the new devices."

Any mobile device can access IU Mobile at http://m.iu.edu. Users can also download the app from their specific app store. The new software will also shortly be available for anyone to download at http://kuali.org/mobility.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • college student working on a laptop, surrounded by icons representing campus support services

    National U Launches Student Support Hub for Non-Traditional Learners

    National University has launched a new student support hub designed to help online and working learners balance career, education, and family responsibilities as they pursue their education. Called "The Nest," the facility is positioned as a "co-learning" center that provides wraparound support services, work and study space, and access to child care.

  • university building icon connected to three simple career symbols—a briefcase, gear, and medical cross

    University of Illinois System Sets Sights on Community College Transfers with One Million Degrees Partnership

    In a multiyear pilot program, the University of Illinois System is working with nonprofit One Million Degrees to bridge the community college transfer gap and improve student outcomes.

  • robot waving

    Copilot Updates Aim to Make AI More Personal

    Microsoft has unveiled a range of updates to its Copilot platform, marking a new phase in its effort to deliver what it calls a "true AI companion" that adapts to individual users' needs, preferences and routines.

  • From Fire TV to Signage Stick: University of Utah's Digital Signage Evolution

    Jake Sorensen, who oversees sponsorship and advertising and Student Media in Auxiliary Business Development at the University of Utah, has navigated the digital signage landscape for nearly 15 years. He was managing hundreds of devices on campus that were incompatible with digital signage requirements and needed a solution that was reliable and lowered labor costs. The Amazon Signage Stick, specifically engineered for digital signage applications, gave him the stability and design functionality the University of Utah needed, along with the assurance of long-term support.