Rave essentials provide a wide range of campus services. It provides mobile access to university email, clubs and groups, directory, and event calendars. It also provides mobile access to teaching and learning applications such as Blackboard and GPS technology for campus safety. Last but not least, it is much more convenient getting around campus much easier, with less time wasted with its application. Aside from what is given with these essentials you can create your own innovative mobile applications as well.
Rave Wireless gives users all the core tools essential to facilitate communication and community on one preferred device which is the student�s mobile phone. This includes broadcast text messages for any emergency alerts, weather alerts, even safety alerts for a specific residence hall. There is University created groups, faculty created groups, and student created groups. You can also access your school email on your phone.
One of Rave�s many ultimate applications is the Rave Academic. It allows colleges and universities to turn the mobile into a teaching and learning tool. It enables students, faculty and staff to view course alerts on their mobile phones, so they never miss a course announcement, even when they are on the go. It also enables faculty to integrate survey questions into their lectures, to which the student can text message a response in class. This allows students to engage more fully in the academic experience.
Another key factor of technology is Rave Guardian, which is a GPS based campus safety application. Rave Guardian gives students the option to activate a timer on their mobile phone whenever they feel unsafe on campus. If the timer expires before it is deactivated, campus police are notified with the student�s personal profile, date, time and nearest GPS location. This is an effective tool for personal and campus safety for individuals who may have medical problems or disabilities.
Next we have Rave Transit where this as well is a GPS based application that enables students, faculty and staff to view the exact location of campus shuttle buses and provides a bus tracker application that students can add to the mobile phone to view. This displays exact location or an estimated time of arrival for shuttle buses in service. This is convenient and allows more time to get other tasks complete as opposed to waiting around for a long time.
Last but definitely not least is the Rave Extender. This is the toolkit that allows your institution to build its own mobile applications and install them along with the other essential applications through Rave. This application is limited only by creativity, resources, and know-how. This toolkit is designed to make it easy as possible for innovative institutions to create mobile applications that add value for students, faculty, and staff.
Schools have the opportunity to build their own packages composed of Rave�s different services. The wireless capabilities don�t require students to buy special Rave enabled phones, but student phones do need to have an Internet connection. Universities can sign up to become Rave Wireless providers, which works with any phone carrier. According to an article published by the Red Herring Inc., a media company that covers technology, the cost of building networks around campuses for Rave could cost between $30,000 to as high as $1 million per campus in some cases. Rave officials say they expect more than 100 schools to sign on for fall 2007, with expected upgrades to eliminate the need fro students to carry keys or wallets. A chip will allow for access to rooms and buildings, while an additional phone feature will allow students to pay campus vendors.
Rave Wireless is teaming with Microsoft to make wireless more accessible on college campuses. The companies declared a partnership that will focus on the delivery of campus specific information over Windows Mobile devices.
Rave Wireless is the only company in the nation to provide a comprehensive set of mobile applications and mobile phone programs that strengthen college and university communities. It provides mobile services pertinent to college students while simultaneously enhancing the college experience, community and convenience of college life.