Oklahoma State U Launches Web-Based Messaging System -- Campus Technology

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Oklahoma State U Launches Web-Based Messaging System

By Mike Hohenbrink
08/06/12

Oklahoma State University has selected a new messaging system in an effort to improve communication with students and staff.

Adoption of the Web-based messaging system, the Rave Campus Messenger from AT&T, will affect more than 36,000 students and 13,000 staff members at the Stillwater, OK-based school.

The new messaging system supports communication among a multitude of devices such as computers, tablets, cell phones, and wired phones and also allows communication via social media.

Campus-wide alerts, breaking news, and weather information can be passed to students through the university's Cowboy Alert, which utilizes the Rave system. Emergency notifications sent out by the university can include biohazards, acts of terror and a campus intruder as well as weather situations that pose a risk to student lives or safety, according to information from the university.

More routine information can also be communicated to students with possible uses including informing students about lecture cancellations or about the latest campus news and activities such as sports and community rallies.

Text messages, emails, and recorded voice messages are all supported so students can receive information in the most convenient format.

Features of the Web-based system include:

Support for a number of different messaging preferences with communication customizable by the user;
Capability for high message volumes to allow multiple alerts and other messages to be sent in a short period of time;
Fully hosted, software-as-a-service technology; and
Minimal configuration responsibility for the school.

All students and university employees are entered in the system after providing mobile contact information.

"It is essential that Oklahoma State University keep up with the expectations our students and employees have about being informed on our campus. Rave Campus Messenger from AT&T is giving us the ability to meet those expectations," said OSU President Burns Hargis. "The mobile application from AT&T has improved the delivery time of our messages, which means we can keep our students and employees better informed."

More information about Rave Campus messenger is available at ravemobilesafety.com.