A pilot group of students in Lagunita will be able to use an app, destined for iStanford upon successful conclusion of the pilot, that contains functionality similar to what students have on their Stanford ID card. This pilot will work only on the iPhones and iPod Touches of the students participating.With this app students will be able to perform a few basic functions such as purchasing food and checking out books in the library. They will not be able to open doors to buildings because the technology is not there yet to communicate to the door access equipment.
Our ultimate goal is to have a virtual ID capability in iStanford on various mobile platforms that provide most or all the capabilities present in today's ID card. We're keeping an eye on the technology to see where the technology leads us.
To work, the app will require authentication -- meaning that a student will have to enter his/her network ID and password in order to bring up the ID on the mobile device. The ID will be valid only for a 24-hour period before authentication will be required again.
Recent Stanford grad, Greg Wientjes (PhD, Education, 2010), through his newly formed company Attract, Inc, is programming the user interface for the pilot, while Joyce Lee of the Student Affairs division is programming the web service that feeds it.
We hope to learn much from the pilot, making course corrections and adjustments along the way. Assuming a successful pilot, we will make the service available to all Stanford students.
Greg made a video of how it works. Check it out! Mmmm ... paying for fries with your mobile device! Do they taste better this way?
