SIU to implement text messaging service

Find out more information about Dawgtel at www.infotech.siu.edu/telecom/dawgtel/

Imagine waking up to a text message saying 8 a.m. class has been cancelled for the day.

The dream of knowing class is cancelled in advance before having to run across campus could become a reality as a new service moves on to campus fall 2005. SIUC is joining in the technological trend by becoming the second university in the world to offer a campus text messaging service.

Earlier this year, Gordon Bruner, director of the Office of Scale Research, recently introduced Dawgtel, which will provide students messages on their cell phones, on personal digital assistants, or in email, from professors and University officials.

"We're trying to reach as many bases as possible," Bruner said. "It puts SIU on the cutting edge of technology. We are in the lead, and others will follow us." The University of South Florida was the first institution to begin using the service two years ago. Bruner took notice, signed up for the Mobull and discovered just how useful the service could be for SIUC.

While the University of South Florida uses it mainly as an advertising tool, Bruner said SIUC's service will focus on helping students as it relates to academics. "Ours is not just a money making venture," Bruner said. "We will be doing something different by having the University community message certain groups of people, primarily students."

While students may think the service is spam, Bruner said users can decide what messages to receive, when they want to receive them and how many messages they can receive per day. While the University will not charge students for the service, charges from users' cell phone providers will still apply.

To sign up, users fill out an extensive form, giving them complete control of what they would like to see for messages. Any messages the users don't want to receive will be blocked out, and the preference form can be changed at any time. The College of Business and Administration collaborated with the Telecommunications branch of Information Technology to develop marketing and technology strategies to start the service. Two graduate assistants were hired to ensure the success of Dawgtel by conducting class research projects to study promotion strategies.

"The students are learning a lot," said David Bouhl, Deputy Director of Telecommunications. "It's pretty interesting for a class project compared to some of the class projects you could have." The students' projects, lead by Megan Tarrolly, a marketing graduate assistant, involve conducting research to make sure they will use the most effective strategy in promoting Dawgtel.

"It's their job to come up with ideas about how we should go about talking to these groups of people about the service," Tarrolly said. While costs remain a mystery, Bruner said he will also consider bringing in advertising later on to help the University pay for the service.

But students would still be able to choose which ads they receive, if any at all. Bouhl said developing the service inside the University, rather than contacting a consultant, will help keeps costs low. In the fall, Air2Web will host the server, but Bouhl hopes to develop a server for the campus within a couple years.

Michelle Joel, the marketing manager for the information technology department of the University of South Florida, said the Mobull service, developed at the campus, has been an incredibly successful advertising medium. "They like it," Joel said. "We have over 9,000 students, faculty and staff registered for the system, and get about 10 to 15 new subscribers each day."

They also have around 85 national vendors sending out advertising, and even a few international companies advertising on their service. The low cost of advertising with Dawgtel, which would average about 15 cents per message, is something that is attractive to advertisers, said Bouhl, but he does not want the service to be used mainly as an advertising tool.

"Even if we don't make any money down the road, as long as we can come close, and the educational aspect of it remains positive, then I think that's as great as anything," Bouhl said.