Developing an institutional mobile application

Speaker:

Adam Elce North Nottinghamshire Collegeaelce@nnc.ac.uk

#rscefair

A little about myself

Adam ElceInformation Advisor at NNC4.5 years in postBased in Learning Resources TeamLead in ILT developments

aelce@nnc.ac.uk01909 504528#ElceyOwen#NNC_Worksop

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

“The mobile phone was the most popular device used to access the Internet wirelessly, away from the home or workplace, with just under a third (31 per cent) of Internet users connecting this way. The adoption of mobile phone technology is being led by 16 to 24-year-old Internet users, with 44 per cent using a mobile phone to access the Internet.“

Office for National StatisticsStatistical Bulletin: Internet Access August 2010 http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/iahi0810.pdf

Circa 2010

•Personally, little interest in iPhone 1-3~

•Followed iPad development closely up to launch in April

•Original iPad acquired May 2010

•Fell in love with principle of app’s approx. 2 hours later!

•Commenced research into the development of a grand NNC iPad app

• EBooks

• VLE

• Online Resources

• Media

• Much more

Resources Used

www.appideas.com

Initial idea tweaked

•iPad app quotes range from £2k - £20k……

•Feet back on the ground

•Tablets = new technology = new / small market

•Smartphones = current technology = large / expanding market

•As useful for marketing as for accessing resources

•Marketing feature ideas added

• Contact Page

• Course Directory

• NNC Blog (RSS Feed)

•Money raised through ILT budget

•Bids submitted for tender through contacts on appideas website

Our first app

•Tender offered to Swanify end of July 2010 (www.swanify.com)

•First draft submitted end of August 2010 - http://screenr.com/pOr

•Changes made by mid September 2010 - http://screenr.com/5cn

•Payment made October 2010

•Final design submitted to App store end of October 2010

•Available to download early November 2010

•Over 250 downloads by February 2011

•New part time course guide added January 2011 (£75)

•New full time guide added May 2011 (£100)

•Over 500 downloads to date, with little marketing

Swanifywww.swanify.comT: 01592 561378

Moving on

•Research into more functional app

•Site visits by multiple developers

•Existing FE / HE apps downloaded

•Extensive feature list put together

•Market research undertaken

•Presentation to SMT

•Funding awarded

•Negotiations underway

•Tender awarded

•Development underway

Early 2011

Mid 2011

Most of 2011

Early 2011

January - March 2011

March 2011

March 2011

March – April 2011

April 2011

May 2011+

Market Research (undertaken early 2011)

Market Research (cont.)

Developers

SmartphonemediaSwanifyGeocast TVBlackboard MobileRoarsCyberlinks TechnologiesHarbinger Group

www.smartphonemedia.co.ukwww.swanify.comwww.geocasttv.comwww.blackboard.comwww.roars.inwww.cyberlinks.inhttp://harbingergroup.com

Tender awarded to:

Smartphonemediawww.smartphonemedia.co.uk

•More experience in field•More for money•More flexibility•Multi Platform

New NNC App

•Proposal submitted May 2011

•Estimated time set by developers = 6 weeks

•Development commenced May 2011 onwards

•NNC Goalposts changing!

•First draft of template June 2011

•Configuring of internal XML July 2011

•NNC Rebranding October 2011

•NNC ‘flirting with various features’ Summer 2011-March 2012

•Change of template to suit branding April 2012

•Submission to App store May 2012

•Live June 2012 (Apple only, others to follow)

Features of new app

Currently on app:

•Interactive Course Directoryo Sections, Reviews, Videos

•Live News Feed

•Course Enquiries

•Events

•Interactive Map

•Facility Information

•Media Sectiono Photo Gallery, Videos

•Social areao Facebook & Twitter links

•Contacts directory

Coming soon:

•Local area informationo Events, map, facilities, services

•Travel routeso Bus, Train

•Calendaro Student planner, timetables

•VLE Link

•Useful Resources

•eBook Library

•Vouchers

•Menus

•Surveys

Demonstration & Q&A

Thank you for your participation