News
August 2009
University of Limerick Uses Saadian's Messaging Technology to Deliver CAO Offers to 3,000 Students
University of Limerick is using Saadian’s messaging technology to inform 3,000 students annually that they have received a CAO place in its college. Irish owned software firm Saadian Technologies specialises in SMS (texting) services for public and private enterprises through its product, Business2Mobile.
Joachim Barnet, Office Manager, Undergraduate Admissions Office, University of Limerick explains, “Text messaging is the language of school leavers who are our potential undergraduates so it makes sense to use this text messaging service to communicate with them. The challenge we have is the tight timeframe where between when CAO offers are issued (mid August) and the orientation programme for new students (start of September) annually. We are now using Saadian’s Business2Mobile text messaging technology to welcome students who have received a CAO place in our university. The text message includes a web link which brings them to the orientation website with details on the orientation programme and they can also start organising campus accommodation early if needed.”
He continues, “We became a Saadian customer in 2008 and they have proven themselves to be a reliable and responsive partner with a personalised support service. Their technology is instant communication and we know students have received the message. We feel that contacting students at an early stage in the process can help them to settle more quickly.”
Cliodhna McGuirk, Managing Director of Saadian Technologies comments, “With Business2Mobile it is a more reliable, efficient and cost-effective way of communicating with students. The students may not always have access to a PC to read email and may need to be contacted at short notice so texting is the best method.”
The Access Office at the University of Limerick, which works to encourage and support students, who for a variety of social and economic reasons are under-represented in Higher Education also uses Saadian technologies. “We use Business2Mobile in the Access Office to communicate with current Access students and potential Access students using text messaging,” comments Josephine Browne, Access Office Administrator, University of Limerick. “We believe in keeping up to date with the technology our students use.
We are very pleased with the service provided by Saadian Technologies, especially the contact with our account manager who is always there to help.”
Joachim Barnet says, “We also use this messaging technology as a communications tool with guides who are giving campus tours to new students as part of the orientation programme. The guides take their group to the enrolment area and text messages can be sent to the guides to control the number of groups in the enrolment area at any given point in time, thereby saving students time queuing unnecessarily.”
