University of Virginia Launches iPhone App
Story Links
CHARLOTTESVILLE – The University of Virginia has launched its own iPhone app for use on iPhones, iPads and iPod Touches. The UVa app is available for free download from the Apple iTunes Store. The Official Virginia iPhone app is the result of collaboration among several different entities around Grounds and offers 22 different sub-applications for prospective students, students, alumni, faculty, staff and Cavalier sports fans.
The athletics sub-app in this initial offering is comprehensive. It allows users the ability to receive the latest news, results, schedule, and roster information as well as live statistics for home football games. Articles written by Director of News Content Jeff White are also included as well as video from VirginiaSportsTV.com. Fans may also listen to a variety of audio clips from the “Good Old Song” to a touchdown call by the “Voice of the Cavaliers,” Dave Koehn. The second version of the app, to be released by Sept. 15, will include live scoring information for additional UVa athletics teams.
Representatives from the University’s offices of Admissions, Student Affairs, Athletics, Information Technology and Communications, the Office of Engagement, the UVa Alumni Association and the University Library contributed to the design. After a competitive bidding process, UVa contracted with WillowTree Apps Inc. of Charlottesville to design and build the app.
After downloading the app from iTunes and opening it, first-time users find a greeting from UVa President Teresa A. Sullivan. They are then prompted to indicate their relationship to the University, and led to sub-apps that most apply to their status. However, all 22 sub-apps are available to anyone, and most can be removed, if desired.
The app debuted last weekend, and by Monday morning was already listed as the No. 1 “New and Noteworthy” app in the education section of the iTunes store. There are plans to adapt it for use on Google’s Android platform, and to optimize it specifically for Apple’s iPad (though it already functions on that notebook device).