Mobile computing services provider OMbiel has launched a mobile application that is meant to aid students who are in need of university information on-the-go.

The campusM application from oMbiel is being rolled out to a group of universities in Britain and Ireland, with the first university to launch the mobile service in October. CampusM provides an integrated suite of university services to students, open-day visitors, staff and conference delegates.

?Universities have a lot of information to disseminate to students, some of which is general such as news, events and PC utilization, while some is course-specific like exam venues,? said Hugh Griffiths, CEO at oMbiel, Birmingham, Britain.

?Other university information is personal such as schedules and grades,? he said. ?Universities are using various means of trying to deliver this content using portals, Web sites and big TVs, but the most effective way to deliver this content is directly to the phone.?

The campusM application features campus maps that let users identify exact campus locations via a GPS search. Students can search for buildings by name or address.

The application also features a friend locator so students can meet up with other students.

With the campusM application, users can look up faculty, staff members or student contacts from the university directory and add them directly to the phone?s address book.

Users can also view a pocket guide, prospectus and receive updates on the latest news and events.

?There are a lot of technology platforms such as e-books, notebooks, laptops, PCs and etcetera, but the only guaranteed technology to be carried by students is their phone,? Mr. Griffiths said.

?This means no matter where they are - on campus, on holiday, in town or visiting friends - they will have access to key university information,? he said.

OMbiel claims that campusM will not only provide one-click access to a wealth of university resources and information, but that it will enhance the university experience overall.

The campusM application is customizable for each individual university, as the application integrates with existing university systems.

This enables personal information such as student schedules, library records and financial accounts to be accessible via a mobile device.

The campusM application is available for the iPhone and iPod touch.

The application will also be available on select mobile devices such as RIM's BlackBerry, HTC, LG, Motorola, Nokia, Palm, Samsung, Sanyo and Sony Ericsson.

?Our strategy for campusM is to provide a product that is designed for mass-market adoption, a low cost of ownership, rapid deployment within one-to-four weeks and, most importantly, a product that will support as many capable devices as possible,? Mr. Griffiths said.

?To this end, most of the application is hosted by oMbiel and universities can configure the application through oMbiel?s Web portal,? he said.