Information Technology

Convergent Devices Task Force

Mission:  Identify required and desirable end-user and support features of a handheld device that will enable CIS to recommend it to members of the Reed community.
Tmeline:  Initiated spring 2008
Task Force Lead:   Taylor Smith - Computer User Services
Conclusion: 
In December of 2008, the convergent devices task force concluded that Apple's iPhone was the best mobile device on the market for integration with Reed's email, calendaring and other services. The iPod Touch was also recognized as a good alternative for those who didn't need the phone functionality but still valued connectivity on the go (eg, for web browsing, email and calendaring).

One of the driving forces behind the decision was meeting the short-term and long-term calendaring needs at Reed. For the short term, NotifyLink would allow existing MeetingMaker users to access their calendar from an iPhone. In the long run, CIS had plans to transition from MeetingMaker to a community-wide calendaring solution using CalDAV which would be supported by the iPhone as well. Another benefit of the iPhone was the potential for 3rd party applications from the App Store or the possibility for CIS to develop its own Reed-customized applications, if necessary.

Inherent support for other phones and platforms was also acknowledged, especially those based on open-source software. Such devices at the time, like T-Mobile's G1 based on the Android platform, were so new to the market that it was difficult to predict the future for them and how well they would integrate with Reed's services.

It is assumed that this is a moving target as advancements in technology are made and the number of mobile devices on the market continues to increase. At the time the task force was charged with its directive, the iPhone was found to be the best mobile device for Reed.