As one of the top-ranked public research universities in the world, the University of Washington, based in Seattle, WA, brings together 65,000 students, faculty members, and administrative staff. From the laboratory to the dormitory, this thriving academic community stays connected with iPhone and the university’s proprietary m.UW app, which gives students and staff mobile access to campus maps, news, directories, course schedules, and lectures.
The University of Washington’s extensive educational offerings include 250 undergraduate and graduate degree programs within 150 departments, centered in 18 different colleges and schools on three campuses. “Our students and staff are global, and we need to be connected wherever we are,” says David Morton, Director of Mobile Communication Strategies.
To serve the needs of its far-flung students and staff, the university provides the technology and infrastructure to make resources constantly available, regardless of location. While supporting a range of technologies for mobile platforms, the iPhone OS has stepped up as a campus favorite.
iPhone Anywhere. The UW Technology department supports mobility with seamless public Wi-Fi for all devices throughout its main campus. Morton estimates that in any given month, over 15,000 handheld mobile devices connect to his network—and about 90 percent of those are running iPhone OS. Faculty and staff can connect via iPhone to the university’s Microsoft Exchange server for push email, calendar, and contacts.
Connected Campus. The university maximizes learning on the go with its iTunes U site and custom app, m.UW. Available for free in the App Store, the m.UW app gives iPhone users a searchable directory, course information, campus news and events, maps, and more than a thousand video lectures. Since its release, m.UW has been downloaded thousands of times from people in more than 33 countries.
“We’re at the start of a mobile technology revolution,” Morton says. “The world of education is changing rapidly in terms of how students learn and interact. We see iPhone as a leader in these directions.”
Source: Apple, Inc.