Notre Dame's Office of Information Technologies (OIT), in collaboration with its Office of Public Affairs and Communications (OPAC), recently released ND Mobile Web to provide mobile device users with useful information about Notre Dame resources.
The Web site, m.nd.edu, is accessible to a global audience and connects users with a wide selection of Notre Dame resources, such as news, athletics, emergency campus information, OIT alerts and student, faculty and staff directories.
The mobile Web site was launched to meet the growing popularity of smart phones.
"Everyone on campus seems to have mobile phones and we were looking for a way to provide the mobile experience to them," said Chas Grundy, OPAC's director of interactive marketing. "ND Mobile Web on your phone is a great way to find a number, check out a computer lab, or grab ND news and sports scores."
According to a recent University press release, this mobile platform was developed through a close collaboration between OIT and OPAC.
"The world of communications and technology is intrinsically linked and our partnership is key to delivering new tools to campus to help our Notre Dame family stay educated, engaged and connected," said Todd Woodward, associate vice president for marketing communications.
One of the features of ND Mobile Web is its "Find an Open Lab" resource. A student interested in seeing whether a particular computer lab is busy can choose this feature and be provided with the real-time number of available computers.
"The new mobile culture emphasizes real-time answers to your most pressing questions," Grundy said in the press release. "It empowers you right now because of where you are and what you are doing."
Other resources available on ND Mobile Web include ND on YouTube, which allows users to browse videos on Notre Dame's YouTube channel, and NDPrayerCast, which delivers spiritual content such as information about Basilica masses and campus ministry.
Students are enthusiastic about this new site and the opportunity to get immediate answers to questions and concerns.
"I really like the ‘Find an Open Lab' feature," freshman Joe Mackel said. "It keeps you from wasting time waiting in line for a computer."
Junior Tim Purcell also likes the convenience and real-time features of the Mobile Web.
"Now I can save time and check scores when I'm standing in line at Starbucks," he said. "Maybe in the future they can even put The Observer on Mobile."
Such an idea may be a reality in the future for the resources of the Mobile Web are expected to grow rapidly.
"We are continuing to develop ND Mobile Web," Grundy said. "In the future, we hope to add more features such as an online map, calendars, tools, events and more."
