Binghamton University has adopted a free mobile application which will allow students to gain access to important information and media about BU.

The device, called bMobi, is available for Apple devices and BlackBerrys with a connection to Wi-Fi or 3G and features maps of the campus, class schedules, class locations and instructors’ contact information.

The app also provides students with up-to-date BU news, as well as the schedules and scores of soccer, basketball and lacrosse games, along with many others.

bMobi also includes photos and videos of different aspects of BU, under the categories of academic, campus life, athletics, facilities and scenic. Each photo has a date and a caption describing what is pictured.

The data that the app utilizes is supplied by the communications and marketing department at BU. The app was developed by a company known as TerriblyClever, which was acquired by Blackboard in July of 2009.

Jim Wolfe, the director of academic computing at BU, said his favorite part of bMobi is the courses app. Wolfe was partly responsible for engaging Blackboard to apply the apps developed for bMobi to Binghamton University.

‘This app is very useful for students because the online schedule is laid out, showing enrollment, the class sections and the class location,’ Wolfe said. ‘There is also a link to the instructor with his or her email, office location and telephone number.’

Wolfe also described bMobi as way for BU to become more involved in the technological and mobile revolution that is taking place. According to Wolfe, an app like bMobi allows people to be on the move but still have access to all the information available on campus.

The administration also believes that the mobile app could help reduce the amount of paper used for printing on campus.

Wolfe pointed out that the amount of paper printed in the PODS increases by 10 percent every year and reached 11 million pages printed this past year. Wolfe said that students can get their schedules, maps, class lists and everything on their phone instead of having to print everything out.

Wolfe said the amount of paper being used on campus is ‘a lot of waste that a green campus should not tolerate.’ He recommended that students be more aware of what they are printing, for example not printing out PowerPoint presentations that could be viewed on a computer.

A beta version of the app was provided to BU tour guides over the summer to collect comments and data. Anne Gole, a junior majoring in finance and entrepreneurship and a tour guide, explained the appeal of using technologies with mobile devices.

‘These technologies allow people not only to become familiar with a class or campus, but also provide access to information anywhere at any time. I think this is a growing trend and not only innovative, but so helpful,’ Gole said. ‘I think bMobi is a great tool ‘ because you have access to the entire campus ‘ whether it be news or events happening at the moment, or a map of every location just in case you are going somewhere unfamiliar on campus.’

iPod Touch, iPad and iPhone users can obtain bMobi by going to the Apple apps store and searching for Binghamton University. BlackBerry users can get the app from www2.binghamton.edu/mobi.