Meet U-M's iWolverine app, your friendly tour guide

Wednesday, August 4, 2010 | Source: Concentrate

As the methods with which people digest information evolve faster and faster, the University of Michigan and a few other local institutions are hustling to keep up. The latest example is the University of Michigan iPhone app, which is also iPad-compatible.

"We are getting ready to do the Android version of the Michigan app," says Cassandra Carson, project manager of mobile applications and Wolverine Access at U-M.

The free app allows users to track buses in real time through the popular Magic Bus web application, check dining hall menus, and search for buildings, among a bevy of other features. Think of it as a tour guide for those who are new to U-M, and even for more established students who are trying to make their lives a little more efficient.

Computer science and engineering students Kevin Chan and Mark Yang first created the iWolverine app last year as part of a class project. The university's Information and Technology Services Dept purchased iWolverine in March and updated it to its current version. The department is also working on other university-based apps due out later this year and next.

U-M is not the first to come out with a locally oriented smart phone app. The Ann Arbor Chamber of Commerce came out with its own last year. The city is also home to a number of start-ups in the app universe, such as Mobiata.

Source: Cassandra Carson, project manager of mobile applications and Wolverine Access at the University of Michigan
Writer: Jon Zemke