The University of the West Indies

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The University of the West Indies
Local Case Studies
Sixth Annual Caribbean Internet Forum Port of
Spain October 29 31, 2008
Kevon Andrews Wayne Sarjusingh Department of
Electrical and Computer Engineering The
University of the West Indies St. Augustine
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UWI Pilots

• mCommunity Skills Bank
• President of Claxton Bay Community Council
  expressed interest in his community becoming more
  productive and drawing on its own resources
• Envisioned a paper-based Skills Bank
• UWI proposed an SMS-based mCommunity Skills Bank
  to provide wide access for all in the community
• ECNG SMS
• The Department of Electrical and Computer
  Engineering has developed a Student Messaging
  Service (SMS) to facilitate access to key
  scheduling information
• This service is particularly useful to the many
  students who do not have Internet access and
  need, for example, to query exam timetable
  information from off-campus homes

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Mobile Messaging System
Host Computer
Mobile Application (PHP)
Database (MySQL)
GSM Mobile Phone Communication Utility (Gnokii)
GSM Modem Driver
USB/Bluetooth/Infrared Connection
GSM Mobile Phone
Incoming SMS
Outgoing SMS
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System Flowchart
START
New SMS in database outbox?
New SMS on phone?
No
No
Yes
Yes
Write SMS to database inbox
Send SMS through phone
New SMS in database inbox?
Write response SMS to database outbox
Process SMS
Yes
No
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ECNG SMS - Operation
Student request for timetable information lectur
e ecng3001 or L3001
System Response
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mCommunity Skills Bank - Operation
User gets response
User makes request
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Internet Interface
http//www.scsee.uwi.tt/mobile_apps/msb/
Internet access
mCommunity Skills Bank
Information Management Sub-system
Web-based User Interface
Mobile Messaging System
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Advantages

• Accessible to all mobile users as SMS capability
  is standard on all contemporary mobile phones
• Available 24 hours a day and practically
  throughout the globe, of course, with the
  appropriate roaming and interconnection
  agreements in place
• Relatively inexpensive to implement
• Lower service cost than applications implemented
  through a commercial SMS gateway provider

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Disadvantages

• Use of a regular mobile phone number which is not
  as easy to remember as a short code such as 1234
• Low sending rate. A GSM mobile phone can
  typically send 6-10 SMS messages per minute
• Only appropriate for relatively small amounts of
  information. The maximum size of an SMS message
  is 160 characters
• Mobile user must have knowledge of the
  appropriate message format to use

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Observations

• Extended User Community
• Database can be accessed via SMS and the Internet
  
• Commercial enterprises access via Internet while
  community members access via SMS
• Implementation Issues
• Technology Constraints (Session-based USSD)
• Service Costs
• Developing and deploying a low traffic
  information retrieval system using mobile SMS can
  be done relatively quickly and inexpensively
• As for all SMS-based applications, simple and
  intuitive message formats are required

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Observations

• The SMS message format and the amount of
  information involved will determine how complex
  your application is in terms of how it processes
  incoming SMS messages and generates outgoing SMS
  responses
• Migrating to full Mobile Internet implementations
  of these types of applications is straightforward
  but not as imminent as handset and service costs
  limit uptake among Caribbean poor
• A full Mobile Internet implementation has the
  potential as an m-Government service

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• Thank You

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Request formats
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Response Formats
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ECNG SMS Message Format
ltkeywordgt ltoptional parametersgt
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SMS Message Format Continued
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Example Responses
SMS message for timetable information lecture
ecng3001 or L3001 Response
ECNG3001 Thu 1010am-1200pm RM
7 Fri 1010am-1100am RM 5.1
Course Day Time Room
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Example Responses Continued
SMS message for staff information staff ravi
or s ravi Response
Ravi Deonarine RM RTSG/Nortel Lab EXT
2073/3758 Ravi.Deonarine_at_sta.uwi.edu Mon
10am-12noon Wed 8am-4pm
Name Room Extension Email Office Hours
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mCommunity Skills Bank - Operation
User gets response
User makes request
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Internet Interface
http//www.scsee.uwi.tt/mobile_apps/msb/
Information Management Sub-system
Web-based User Interface
Internet access
Common Mobile Messaging System