Winter Pilot Program Guides Project Expansion
by Diana Noelcke
Winter quarter proved to be a great time to ask faculty and staff to participate in an expanded UC Mobile pilot program. We had 76 volunteers from the following three areas: College of Allied Health Sciences, Enrollment Services, and the Athletics Department.
We piloted two types of phones: the Windows Mobile 5 device, P4300, and the Blackberry 8700. We had about a two to one ratio of Windows Mobile to Blackberry devices. We wanted three key questions answered by the pilot users.
1. Is a cell phone a viable option to replace a desk phone?
2. Are the UC Mobile features of value to faculty and staff?
3. Does having a cell phone make you more productive?
Within each pilot group, we removed the desk phones from ten staff members' desks and those people used the cell phones only, during the pilot. We had twenty faculty and staff members test the UC Mobile applications and features value, along with a group of twenty pilot users getting a cell phone for the first time.
Enrollment Services had eleven pilot users, all of whom gave up their desk phones and used the cell phones only. They also tested a unique feature, the dual service subscription on the cell phones. The dual service subscription allowed each of them to have both personal and business cell numbers on the one device. Within each group, the overwhelming feedback was that the pilot users felt much more productive in their workdays. Prominent comments included that the users enjoyed not being tied to their desks, yet remaining "in touch" via phone or e-mail.
At the conclusion of the winter quarter pilot program, 50% of the users retained their smart phones. Eleven chose to not have their desk phones returned to their offices.
Please visit the UC Mobile web site.
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