Jason Austin's Blog Life and times of a PHP Developer in Raleigh, NC

NC State Goal for 2010: More Mobile

2009 got NC State started on a great foot when it came to providing content to users on mobile devices.  We launched http://m.ncsu.edu in September with no initiative, no funding, no nothing.  The only thing we had was a group of passionate people interested in doing something powerful and beneficial to the University ("Passion Rules!" as our new Chief Communication Officer Joe Hice likes to say).  And the project was a great success!  We got a lot of excellent press and nothing but praise from the higher ups.

Pro-tip: Despite popular belief, you don't need an official initiative or bloated requirements to do something worthwhile at NC State.  This mobile project is proof that with a little imagination, a lot of hard work, a community-driven attitude and the RIGHT people in the RIGHT place, you can make a HUGE impact.  Being willing to take a risk doesn't hurt either.

Later on in the year, the library launched their own mobile site at http://m.lib.ncsu.edu.  They have a lot of very interesting apps that help out library patrons and are using the same code and design principles that the main mobile site is using.  And because I am the coordinator for the project, I get to hear from lots of other people who are wanting to do mobile sites.  Those voices have gotten much louder towards the end of 2009 and subsequently into 2010.  And while what we have done already is important, this post is about what we will do in the future, so on to the goals!

Acquire an iPhone Developer License for NC State University

I worked really hard to get this goal realized in 2009, but Apple and NC State couldn't seem to come to terms with the contract.  It sounds so simple.  Just pay your $99 and you get to put apps in the app store, right?  Nope, not when you are a state organization with some (in my opinion) overly cautious laws and lawyers.  Then you have Apple who was unwilling to modify any language in the contract to get us on board (thanks Cupertino...really?  You guys dropped the ball on this one).  While both sides failed to connect in 2009, we have a new plan for 2010 and are moving forward with it.  We WILL get this done in 2010!

Complete our Mobile Best Practices Guide

My vision is to have a resource that developers can use when they want to make their site or web application mobile friendly.  Part of this will also be a guide for administrators to consider when dedicating resources (people and money) to mobile projects.  The University is desperately in need of some continuity and consistency in branding, and since the mobile presence is very small so far, I think this is an excellent place to start.  Best practices, user-interface design, approval procedures, etc. can really help NC State becoming a leader in mobile resources for higher education.  Of course I am not going to do this by myself, but if I can continue to be a catalyst for this, I will work hard to see this goal realized.

Collect Mobile Apps and Sites

It's always good to know what kind of resources you currently have.  If you don't know what you have, you don't know what you need.  I'd like to see us collect the existing (and future) mobile applications and websites into a great, accessible resource that our current students, alumni, faculty, staff, and future students can use to get the info they need about NC State.  This includes collecting our future iPhone apps, Android apps, mobile-friendly websites, everything.  A one-stop shop for mobile at NC State.

Launch the new version of m.ncsu.edu

By trade, I am a programmer.  I see a problem, envision a solution in my head, and can sit down and write the code to solve the problem.  In this case, the problem is that we need a mobile framework so that people all across our campus (and others like, UNC) can develop code that can be specific to them, but also be maintained and re-used.  It would include much of what the current website does, including device detection, but would also entail much much more.  It would give us an awesome foundation to build something really special, and I am totally pumped about it!  And of course, it will be Open Source, freely available to anyone and everyone that wants it (cause that's how I roll).

Funding and Acknowledgment

The mobile project from 2009 was really just an interested group of people that wanted to accomplish the same thing.  While we accomplished A LOT, in 2010, we are going to need to solidify the group and be acknowledged by the University as a working committee.  For anyone in higher ed, you probably hate that "committee" word, but it is a necessary evil to move the project where we want to.  We need to secure funding for employees, training, and resources.  To get that funding, we have to be more than "a group of people".  The make-up of the group will probably be very similar to what we have now, we will just be more official

Features, Features, Features

NC State needs more of it's tools to be mobile friendly.  In 2009, we started building a foundation to get the NCSU Dining menus on the mobile site.  We need to make that a reality in 2010.  We also planted the seed of innovation into a lot of people's minds as to what was possible on a mobile platform.  Gym hours and equipment availability, access to student's schedules, classes and grades.  The possibilities are endless, and we need to follow through.  A lot of these features will be easier with an official committee in place.  The mobile presence of the University will only be as good as the resources we provide, so we need to provide more stuff.

With all that said, what are your thoughts on this project?  Anything you would like to see NC State work on with the mobile presence?  So far, the community has driven the project, and I doubt it will be much different in 2010.  So let's have it, what do you folks wanna see?

DISCLAIMER: These are my personal goals for NC State in 2010. None of this has been signed off on or anything like that, it is just what I hope to accomplish in the new year.