Wireless learning curve

Start 'em young, and you’ll hook 'em for life.

That's the apparent philosophy for the many carriers and creators of wireless technology that are marketing their products to schools and universities, often for free.

Across the nation, wireless companies are signing contracts with every age group, from elementary schools to grad schools. Palm (www.palm.com) is working with K-12 schools and the University of South Dakota (www.palm.com). ArcStream Solutions (www.arcstreamsolutions.com) has created wireless software for Harvard Medical School (www.med.harvard.edu). Sprint PCS (www.sprintpcs.com.com) has partnered with Erskine College (www.erskine.edu) in South Carolina and various elementary schools.

At the University of South Dakota, freshmen and first-year law and medical students are being provided with Palm handheld computers. About 1,300 students will get the devices, which are being paid for by a university foundation and student fees.

The Palms will be used to schedule, organize, calculate and communicate, among other things. Students will begin using the wireless devices next month.

At Harvard, medical students will be doing similar things with any wireless device, thanks to software from ArcStream that wirelessly enabled Harvard’s computer systems.

“The mobile platform gives students access to the entire Harvard Medical School curriculum online,” said John Halamka, Harvard Medical School associate dean.

The service is free, but students must provide their own wireless devices, be it PDA or laptop or WAP-enabled phone. Harvard has had a Web-based portal for students and faculty for years, but the new software allows wireless access. The portal allows students to check class notes, schedules and do faculty evaluations.

“Certainly in the whole medical field, PDAs and mobile technologies are becoming increasingly common and will become more common,” said John Keane, ArcStream CEO. “Inculcating the students with this technology, getting them comfortable with it and helping them become proficient on how to use it is a plus.”

Keane said his company was in discussions with dozens of other schools about adding the software to their networks.

“What it tells me is that the schools are eager to do something with these technologies,” he said.

At Erskine College, a program that was developed by a physics professor has been rewritten to work on the Sprint PCS wireless Web. Like Harvard’s program, it allows students to evaluate coursework in real time from their Sprint PCS phones.

Sprint PCS also partners with elementary schools across the nation through its Education Connection program. The program provides phones to schools for use during field trips or to contact parents.

“It’s a great way for us to give back to the community in a meaningful way that uses our technology,” said Kristin Wallace, Sprint PCS spokeswoman. “A lot of times, it’s really easy to write a check to somebody, but this way, we’re showing off our technology while helping out the schools.”

The world headquarters for Sprint PCS is less than an hour from a variety of colleges and universities in Kansas and Missouri, but has yet to form official partnerships with any of them.

“We’re not really involved with the colleges and universities right now,” said Peggy McRedmond, PCS spokeswoman. “We’re on the brink of it. We’re investigating it.”

Herschel Shosteck, Shosteck Group (www.shosteck.com) president, said wireless carriers partner with educational institutions in order to create a customer base.

“It’s a marketing strategy,” Shosteck said. “The desire for that would be that the company would gain a contract to put in an entire wireless network. And, they would gain the advantage of all the students going on that network.”

But, Shosteck said the partnerships also help colleges and universities by removing the responsibility of creating a wireless network on their own.

“What this does is that this removes 700 or however many hassles from the university,” he said. “The university doesn’t have to maintain that network, it doesn’t have to put it up. It’s all the carrier’s problem. The university doesn’t have to do any billing. That’s all the carrier’s problem. But, it’s just marketing. It’s not an educational strategy.”