The Facts: N.C. State Mobile Web came online Sept. 3 to provide smartphone users with a friendlier alternative to the University Web site. The site arose from a combined effort between students and the Office of Information Technology’s developers.
Our Opinion: The mobile Web site is a great step in the right direction and should become students’ choice for university news and information as it evolves from its developmental foundation.
The way students access and search for information fundamentally changed when the first-generation iPhone arrived in stores on June 29, 2007.
Instant access to streaming video, news and all manner of other data became a newfound necessity for millions of America’s newest smartphone users.
As the number of BlackBerry and iPhone users grew, the market recognized a demand for Web content that was specifically tailored to these devices.
Applications and specially designed Web sites sprang up like green shoots from an irrigated field.
In response to the increased demand for a mobile-friendly version of the NCSU Web site, the Office of Information Technology created an effective and unique Web site, N.C. State Mobile Web.
The site, which can be accessed at m.ncsu.edu, is in its developmental stage but is already up and running with many valuable tools for the student body.
A campus directory, news feed and Wolfline tracking system are already available on the site.
Stan Martin, OIT’s director of outreach, communications and consulting, anticipates that even more services could join the site gains exposure.
He said it’s just a foundation right now, but has seen interest from several campus organizations that could join in the future.
During the project’s design process, the designers sought student cooperation and built the site to address student needs first.
Martin said the team found some inspiration in an iPhone application produced by Duke University, but decided that a mobile friendly Web site provided the designers with more flexibility and growth potential for the time being.
This is the sort of thoughtful draft process that should be modeled for the University’s mobile-style applications, and for the University in general.
Instead of working out of a directive from above, the department approached the task from a student perspective and came up with an effective product in just a week.
Martin said OIT was excited about the site, which launched Sept. 3, and was optimistic that links from the library and other student organizations could be incorporated.
The Web site is still in development and is a little rough along some of the edges — notably in the Wolfline tracking feature, which is a little subpar when compared to Transportation’s Transit Visualization System. But it is a great start and should be commended for its well-thought student approach.
This is a cool feature and should only get better with time — show us more guys.
