Tech tips

 

April 2017

 

By Matt McCarty

Staff writer 

 

The use of mobile devices continues to rise with 77 percent of Americans owning a smartphone. Studies show that, in total, Americans check their phones more than 8 billion times per day – an average of 46 times a day for each user. Many check their phone within five minutes of waking up and within five minutes of going to bed.

“With mobile devices becoming such an integral part of our daily lives, it’s important to use the technology that’s already in people’s hands to communicate the information you want them to know,” said KSBA’s technology manager, Matt Wells.

Wells said when creating a mobile app, districts leaders should ask how the app will make life easier for their users.

“Having an easy-to-navigate app that helps people get the information they need quickly will go a long way to ensure they continue to use it. Look at the analytics of your website and figure out what features are being accessed the most, then highlight those similar features within the app. If the district calendar is a popular feature on your website, you can bet busy parents will appreciate being able to check the calendar on their phone while waiting in line for their morning coffee,” he said.

KSBA unveiled its events app at its 2016 annual conference. Wells said asking questions about safeguarding information is important when developing an app.

“Carefully consider who will handle the development of your app, and the security of the information you will be handing over to them,” he said. “If you are contracting the development, ask questions about the security controls they use to safeguard your information, and find out if your information will be sent out of the country. Once your information leaves the country, it may be governed by a different set of privacy laws.”