Reston, VA ? 08/21/2006 Sprint (NYSE: S) and Rave Wireless (ravewireless.com) have partnered to offer a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive suite of mobile solutions that deliver instant communications, enhance student safety and generate a greater sense of community at higher?education campuses across the country. Beginning in the fall semester of 2006, students at Allen University in South Carolina and University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), will have greater access to features such as group text messaging and polling, campus directories, university events calendar and class schedules thanks to customized handset data applications created by Rave Wireless. Sprint's state-of-the-art network and unique location-based services, combined with Rave Wireless' mobile applications and program management create a complete solution for higher education institutions.
"Sprint's partnership with Rave Wireless strengthens our commitment to enhance the learning environment for higher education institutions across the nation," said Craig Carroll, national director of education for Sprint. "Our relationships with Allen University and UMES, highlights the diverse appeal of our solutions to campuses of all sizes by integrating technology into the classroom experience from both a learning and teaching perspective."
A big issue for many universities is the safety and security of students on campus. Allen University, located in Columbia, S.C., is working with Sprint and Rave Wireless to provide all full-time students with GPS-capable handsets, preloaded with data applications including the award-winning Rave Guardian application that provides a greater level of security by allowing the school's public safety officials to identify a student's location, if requested by the student, by integrating GPS- location into the school's public safety system. In addition, the mobile phones, referred to as an 'e-learning tool' by the school administration, will foster strong student-faculty relationships by facilitating real-time communication, course information and in-class assessments.
"Allen University is pleased to integrate leading technologies into the fabric of our university that will both enhance academics and create a safer environment for students to learn," said Anthony Spearman, vice president of operations and professor of physics, Allen University. "We are dedicated to providing an easy and cost-effective way to communicate with students, professors and campus safety officials. Sprint and Rave Wireless are delivering a solution that not only meets our needs but also gives our students instant access to critical content and peer groups that keep them connected to the university family."
Starting this fall, UMES will also offer the Sprint solution with Rave applications to all incoming students. Through a state-of-the-art dual-network Custom Network Solution (CNS) designed for this campus, Sprint has created a unified messaging platform for students and faculty to communicate, especially helpful during an emergency or national catastrophe.
"Mobile phones, the preferred way to communicate for today's youth, are now a part of the education curriculum at UMES," said Ron Forsythe, vice president of planning, assessment and technology at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. "Innovation-driven companies like Sprint and Rave Wireless provide us with the tools and solutions to keep our students informed, secure and always connected. We expect instant communication to be a big hit amongst our students."
Rave Wireless' applications, available on both the Nationwide Sprint PCS Network and the Nextel National Network, provide students with the flexibility to access campus-specific content and services through mobile phones from just about anywhere and at any time. The solution deployed at UMES also includes Rave Guardian, which provides students with a greater level of security and added peace-of-mind.
"We are very excited to partner with Sprint Nextel, a company that strongly believes in providing innovative and differentiated solutions to customers," says Rodger Desai, CEO, Rave Wireless. "Sprint Nextel's unique network and billing capabilities further strengthen the options Rave Wireless is able to offer colleges and universities as they transform the mobile phone into an educational and community building tool."
