iWKU app updates, now under WKU control

The iWKU app used by WKU students to keep track of both personal and university information has recently undergone a new update. The update allows users with both iPhone and Android devices to use the app with increased functionality. The app is also now written completely through the WKU Web Development Group in the Enterprise Applications and Programming of the IT Division.

Kylie Carlson
September 21, 2016

The iWKU app has been updated to increase functionality as well as improve use for Android users.

Additionally, for the first time the update was solely written by WKU’s Web Development Group in the Enterprise Applications and Programming of the IT Division for the first time. It was previously contracted through Blackboard to provide a platform, officials say.

However, Eric Wolfe, director of the Enterprise Applications and Programming staff in the IT Division, said the update will not include any new functions or features.

“While we did not add any major new functionality with this update, there are benefits to updating,” Wolfe explained. “We felt the Android version was a bit clunky as you navigated around in the app. This is no longer the case as Android and iPhone users will now have a more similar experience.”

Wolfe also added one of the main reasons for the update was to save money. By writing the app in-house, it was less costly and more convenient, Wolfe said.

However, Wolfe said cost savings weren’t the only benefit. Being able to write the app in-house has given them complete control over its content.

“This will allow us to fix problems as we see them without waiting on a third party,” Wolfe said. “It will allow us to take the app in directions that were not previously possible.”

Louisville freshman Rhett Miller said he noticed some changes in the iPhone app.

“I don’t think a whole lot has changed, but it does look different and seems easier to navigate now,” Miller said.

Wolfe also added he’s excited to see what the future of the app will be like now that it is in the hands of WKU developers.

This initial release of an updated app has been in the works for more than a year, according to Wolfe. The Web Development Group has not only been working on rewriting the app, but also perfecting its own expertise and skills.

“This group has had a goal to rewrite this app in-house for some time now, but only recently has the group’s expertise hit a point where this could become a reality,” Wolfe said. “I can’t say enough good things about this group and I’m excited to see where they take the app.”

The app is available in Apple’s App Store for iPhone/iPad and in the Google Play Store for Android devices. Windows phone users do not need to update; they can just visit http://i.wku.edu in a web browser.