Through collaboration between ITS Teaching & Learning and ITS Digital Services, UNC-Chapel Hill Information Technology Services launched a mobile-friendly map of campus printers in CarolinaGO, the University’s official mobile app, in November 2015. The new map provides a better experience for mobile users.
In the past year, Teaching & Learning also added six printers in four new locations, bringing CCI Printing up to 60 printers in 45 locations on campus.
Map shows live updates
For about two years, the CCI Printing map has provided users with live updates from the printers. Every two minutes, the map updates to show at-a-glance the status of each printer, whether a printer is out of paper, low on paper or toner, or perhaps unplugged because the carpet in that area is being replaced. With these updates, potential users are informed about the status of a printer before arriving.
For users on campus, the printing map in CarolinaGO shows them the nearest printers. CarolinaGO users who open the printing map from off campus see a large, zoomed-out map of printing locations.
Status updates benefit printer support
In addition to the direct benefit to users, the printing map with status updates has an extra benefit, said Jeremiah Joyner, Manager of ITS Labs & Systems within Teaching & Learning. Because each printer has GPS coordinates and status, ITS can easily and quickly see if there’s a problem with a printer. For example, if a printer is out of or low on paper, ITS can simply notify the group where the printer is located and that group will add the paper.
“It is an easier way to do printer support,” Joyner said.