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Connecting Your Campus with SMS

Learn how Texas A&M University at Qatar effectively implements SMS technology, benefits, usage scenarios, and considerations for successful deployment on your campus. Explore custom and third-party solutions for seamless communication.

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Connecting Your Campus with SMS

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  1. Connecting Your Campus with SMS Russell Lindell, Sr. Software Applications Developer, Texas A&M University at Qatar Ravi Kallianpur, Director of User Services & Instructional Technology, Texas A&M University at Qatar

  2. Overview • Texas A&M University at Qatar • Introduction to SMS • Definitions and terms • TAMUQ’s implementation • Demonstration • Implementation for your campus • Questions

  3. What Is Texas A&M University At Qatar? • TAMU branch campus • Doha, Qatar • Fall of 2003 • Qatar Foundation • College of Engineering • Chemical • Electrical • Mechanical • Petroleum

  4. Our Students • 185 students • Planned enrollment - 600 • 40% International • 27 countries • Very high use of mobile phones

  5. Why Did TAMUQ Choose To Use SMS? • Contacting applicants • Voicemail nonexistent • Lack of an email culture • Unable to reach applicants by phone • High use of cell phones in the local culture • Decided to use SMS

  6. SMS Gateway Solution • Originally used staff cell phones • Ineffective for large groups of recipients • Slow composition of messages • CIO decided on web based interface for convenience of use • Used existing authentication system for only staff and faculty

  7. SMS Vocabulary Short Message Service (SMS):A service for sending messages of up to 160 characters to mobile phones. SMS Gateway:A web site that lets you enter and send an SMS message.

  8. SMS - Short Message Service Also Known As: • Texting • Text Messages • SMSes • Texts

  9. Key Benefits Of SMS Technology • Instant reception of communication • Low bandwidth requirements • SMS equivalent to 1 second of voice data • Targeted audience • Global reach

  10. When Should SMS Be Used? • Time sensitive information • Supplement to other forms of communications • Low bandwidth situations • Natural / Manmade Disasters • Email inaccessible or impractical

  11. Emergencies Natural / Manmade disasters Jeanne Cleary Act Advisories Traffic accident / Unscheduled maintenance Weather advisories Instructor communications Room location Class time Possible Uses For SMS

  12. Reminders Library, Registration and Fees Appointments Campus news and events Sports scores & highlights Student government elections Club news & updates Contact during school holidays Find out what your students want / need “I only wanted one pint today. Didn’t you get my text message?” Possible Uses For SMS

  13. Disadvantages Of SMS • Limited in length • 160 Characters • Less than 100% participation among users • Cell phone ownership • Release phone number • Potential for SMS SPAM • Unverified receipt

  14. Things To Consider • Policies • Purpose of the system • Who can use it • Scope of use • Cost to the recipient • Procedures • Under what conditions is a message sent • Special conditions in an emergency situation

  15. Things To Consider … • Other considerations • Language support • العربيّة (Arabic) • 中文简体 (Mandarin) • ภาษาไทย (Thai) • Ρусский (Russian) • SPAM: Don’t abuse the system

  16. TAMUQ’s Implementation • Custom SMS Gateway • Service provider for message delivery • www.strikeiron.com • www.abctext.com • Development technologies • ASP .NET • C# • Active Directory • SQL Server • Web Services

  17. Features Of TAMUQ’s SMS Gateway • Web based application • Integration with Active Directory • Authentication • Address book • Personal address books • Group messages • Message logging • Message tracking • Usage statistics

  18. SMS Gateway Infrastructure

  19. Demonstration Please turn ON your cell phones!

  20. Utilization • Faculty use to notify students of assignments and exam reminders • Admissions use to contact applicants • Used to notify students of class changes • Emergency notifications • ITS helpdesk • Removed aversion to text messaging

  21. Metrics: Messages Sent By Month

  22. Metrics: Total Recipients By Month

  23. Parameters Of Use • Only faculty and staff have direct access • Students go through the department of student affairs • Both business and personal use • Incidental use • No cost to the recipient

  24. Third Party Solutions • e2Campus • www.e2Campus.com • www.omnilert.com • Rave Wireless - Rave Essentials • www.ravewireless.com • TXT4schools • www.tonicdesigns.co.uk/html/txt4schools.html

  25. Summary • What is SMS • Benefits and Disadvantages • Appropriate Use • TAMUQ’s Custom Solution • Third Party Solutions • Slides on Educause website • Comments / Questions?

  26. Contact Information • Russell Lindell – rwlindell@tamu.edu • Ravi Kallianpur – ravi@qatar.tamu.edu

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