If you’ve ever gotten frustrated using oZONE on your iPhone, now there’s an app for that.
A small team of OU IT specialists plan to roll out their new free iPhone app, OU4YOU, within the next two months, although the exact timeline depends on how quickly Apple puts it on iTunes after that.
OU IT spokesman Nicholas Key said they wanted to build upon the first app and give students better tools for day-to-day activities.
“OU2GO was more for outsiders, like prospective students and alumni,” Key said. “OU4YOU is more geared towards current students.”
Launched in August 2009, OU2G0 is an iPhone app which includes a campus map, current weather, news feed, media and campus traditions.
Key said the new OU4YOU app will include parking availability information, a campus map, a directory, Hiresooner career services, Cleveland Area Rapid Transit GPS to track transportation routes and arrival times, My Planner to help students keep track of their own grades, OU libraries to check out books from their phones, D2L and a news feed.
Electrical engineering senior Wascar Bocangel was thrilled about CART GPS, which Key said would resemble subway and metro apps.
“They’re always late,” Bocangel said. “Today I had to wait fifteen minutes and I didn’t know if I had missed it.”
Key said OU’s app remains competitive among other U.S. schools, but that there is always room for improvement and creativity.
“Stanford and Duke’s are more functional, which we’re working on, and I think Northeastern has a laundry app that tells you when washers are available,” Key said.
The group’s iPhone developer, Gray Delacluyse, urges students to leave feedback in the suggestion box on the app once it is released.
Key said while IT has the computer know-how, they relied on the Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth, the College of Engineering and the Mobile Development Steering Committee to advise them on content.
University spokesman Chris Shilling, who worked as a student on OU2GO and helped coordinate the steering committee for OU4YOU, said the groups were pretty unified in their vision.
He said they thought opinions would differ on whether to put it all on one app or keep them separate, “but everyone was pretty unified about having two apps to maximize utility.”
The last effort was more about getting an app up, but this one should be more useful to a lot more people than just incoming freshman, Shilling said.
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Steven Zoeller 1 year, 8 months ago
The OU2GO app was very useful this past week, as a freshman, as I navigated the campus. It showed me where my classes were and for that I am grateful. Maybe if this next version could feature maps of inside the buildings, that would make it even better. Not to say that the possible laundry and My Planner additions already sound awesome. It's a very comprehensive process they run, and I'm happy that their ideas aren't half-baked.
jwiltfong 1 year, 8 months ago
I'm so excited that there is finally going to be an app for Ozone! I hate getting on my iPhone/iTouch, and trying to log in to check classes, accept financial aid, etc. I think overall that the app will be a big help for students trying to figure out everything!