A Very Wise Discovery
March 7, 2001 | 12:00am
A discovery made by some wise guys over at the De La Salle University (DLSU) is revolutionizing the way people use "texting" or short messaging service (SMS).
Want proof?Try this on your GSM cellphone:
Go to Message.
Write Message. Type DLSU SUBJ BUSORGA
Press Options.
Press Send.
Enter number: 2333 (for Globe), 211 (for Smart)
Wait for a few seconds for a reply. Check message/s received.
Your inbox displays 2333 (for Globe) or 211 (for Smart). Read message.
It reads: BUSORGA C1 #0; C31 #41; C32 #40; C33 #37; C34 #39; C35 #40; C36 # 41; C37 #39; C38 #42; C39 #39; C40 #34; C41 #16; A51 #34; A52 #14; A53 #39; L81 #26; as of 1150h 022/27/2001.
*End of Query*
The message you just received is a bunch of codes for classes under the De La Salle’s Business Organization subject. For example, C1 #0 means for class C1, there are no enrollees; C31#41, there are 41 students in class C31; and so on and so forth. If you want to get more details about each subject, type DLSU SUBJ BUSORGA C32. The reply reads: BUSORGA C32 #40; MWF, 1030-1130h, Rm L316. As of 1241h 2/27/2001. *End of Query*. This information includes the class schedule and room assignment.
Called "DLSU WISe (Wireless Information Services), it allows anyone with a cellphone with texting capability to access information from the DLSU database. Samuel Mallare, director of the Information Technology Center of the DLSU Professional Schools Inc., explains that using keywords designed for the system, anybody with a Globe or Smart line can access information from their servers. "You send a keyword and parameters, for example, SUBJ BUSORGA. The message is sent to Globe or Smart’s cellular phone network, then enters a gateway. The inquiry is processed and the response passes through the gateway again, and (sent) to the cellphone," Sam elaborates. And WISe is not even limited to the DLSU student population. Anybody can use it, he says.
Currently, there are 15 keywords which allow a user to access information ranging from the list of DLSU faculty dial-up lines to the schedule of final exams. On the drawing board of WISe are fees payment balance, student activities and events, UAAP game schedules and updates and even job postings from the university’s Office of Career Services. All of this information will be available in school year 2001-2002.
Meet the wise guy who developed WISe  23-year-old Johnny P.U. Benitez Jr., a junior programmer at the IT Center of DLSU Systems Management Office. His discovery came one day in September last year when his friend sought his help to translate a paper that described how SMS works. "He showed me a paper on how the texting system works. He asked me to interpret it because he couldn’t understand how it works," Johnny recalls.
Johnny, a fresh graduate, admits that he still thinks like a student. "As I was explaining to him, I suddenly realized, hey, this system would be perfect for our current problem!" Knowing what students go through, especially during enrollment, standing up in queues and suddenly the subjects running out by the time they get to the encoding terminal, he saw the opportunity of using the technology as a solution to this problem. He considers his discovery as more of a knowledge accident than anything else.
The moment Johnny realized he had all the details, resources and technologies available, he thought he could make it work, not in hundreds of days, but in a week. "The first program took me two days to make," Johnny relates. The program, also called WISe, allows communication with the servers of Globe and Smart. "It involved setting up an agreement between servers on how to communicate."
That was a Sunday when his friend showed the ice-breaking technical paper. He geared up for work the following day, and after a week, the system was up. Right away he informed Sam and the rest of the team at the IT Center. The center heads approved it and the rest was logistics. "Johnny (did a) hands-on job on the whole project. He took care of transactions with Globe and Smart who liked the idea," Sam beams. "There was not even a project plan to speak of."
The other wise guys in the WISe team included James Sy, the IT Center’s database administrator; Albert Uy, the systems administrator; and the approving parties, including Sam as director of the center. How much did this revolutionary endeavor cost? Nothing much, they say. The database was already there for a long time and the infrastructure was available. "It was basically manpower cost," Sam says.
The WISe guys have not measured the impact of their project, but it is now running on its sixth month, receiving over 60,000 hits. And even without publicity, it received 5,000 queries during its first month of implementation.
The beauty of WISe, Johnny relates, is that you don’t need a WAP-enabled phone to access information. "That was the mistake of everyone," he says, referring to the common misconception that you need a WAP phone to get into the database. He says users are very happy with WISe.
The WISe team is now experimenting in making information available through the Palm Pilot, a personal digital assistant (PDA). The system allows one with a Palm Pilot, after synchronizing it with the system, to download information from their servers. "An initial test is running now, the DLSU Newsletter is up there," Johnny shares his new discovery while showing a display of the publication on the PDA. He says texting is good for small bits of information but using the Palm Pilot allows you to carry more information. "We are finding out how we can leverage the new technologies of Globe and Smart. We are still figuring out how they work," he says.
The WISe guys have proven it could work  accessing information through texting. While other universities may try to follow the IT Center’s lead, think about the possibilities of making other kinds of information accessible through SMS. Think about using your cellphone to find out the last flight that touched down at the NAIA. Or the winning number in the lottery. Or the price of cooking oil in the grocery store. Or the band playing in Malate tonight. Or any information from the Net! The possibilities are limitless. All for P2 or P2.50 per message, at least for WISe, and without even spending for a WAP phone.
So what does Johnny get for this outstanding work? "More work!" Sam jokes, but nevertheless proud of the WISe guy. Johnny couldn’t be happier, with a long list of projects that are expected to revolutionize new available technologies.
(The WISe keywords are available at the DLSU website at www.dlsu.edu.ph. The service is available 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Mondays to Saturdays.)
Want proof?
Go to Message.
Write Message. Type DLSU SUBJ BUSORGA
Press Options.
Press Send.
Enter number: 2333 (for Globe), 211 (for Smart)
Wait for a few seconds for a reply. Check message/s received.
Your inbox displays 2333 (for Globe) or 211 (for Smart). Read message.
It reads: BUSORGA C1 #0; C31 #41; C32 #40; C33 #37; C34 #39; C35 #40; C36 # 41; C37 #39; C38 #42; C39 #39; C40 #34; C41 #16; A51 #34; A52 #14; A53 #39; L81 #26; as of 1150h 022/27/2001.
*End of Query*
The message you just received is a bunch of codes for classes under the De La Salle’s Business Organization subject. For example, C1 #0 means for class C1, there are no enrollees; C31#41, there are 41 students in class C31; and so on and so forth. If you want to get more details about each subject, type DLSU SUBJ BUSORGA C32. The reply reads: BUSORGA C32 #40; MWF, 1030-1130h, Rm L316. As of 1241h 2/27/2001. *End of Query*. This information includes the class schedule and room assignment.
Called "DLSU WISe (Wireless Information Services), it allows anyone with a cellphone with texting capability to access information from the DLSU database. Samuel Mallare, director of the Information Technology Center of the DLSU Professional Schools Inc., explains that using keywords designed for the system, anybody with a Globe or Smart line can access information from their servers. "You send a keyword and parameters, for example, SUBJ BUSORGA. The message is sent to Globe or Smart’s cellular phone network, then enters a gateway. The inquiry is processed and the response passes through the gateway again, and (sent) to the cellphone," Sam elaborates. And WISe is not even limited to the DLSU student population. Anybody can use it, he says.
Currently, there are 15 keywords which allow a user to access information ranging from the list of DLSU faculty dial-up lines to the schedule of final exams. On the drawing board of WISe are fees payment balance, student activities and events, UAAP game schedules and updates and even job postings from the university’s Office of Career Services. All of this information will be available in school year 2001-2002.
Johnny, a fresh graduate, admits that he still thinks like a student. "As I was explaining to him, I suddenly realized, hey, this system would be perfect for our current problem!" Knowing what students go through, especially during enrollment, standing up in queues and suddenly the subjects running out by the time they get to the encoding terminal, he saw the opportunity of using the technology as a solution to this problem. He considers his discovery as more of a knowledge accident than anything else.
The moment Johnny realized he had all the details, resources and technologies available, he thought he could make it work, not in hundreds of days, but in a week. "The first program took me two days to make," Johnny relates. The program, also called WISe, allows communication with the servers of Globe and Smart. "It involved setting up an agreement between servers on how to communicate."
That was a Sunday when his friend showed the ice-breaking technical paper. He geared up for work the following day, and after a week, the system was up. Right away he informed Sam and the rest of the team at the IT Center. The center heads approved it and the rest was logistics. "Johnny (did a) hands-on job on the whole project. He took care of transactions with Globe and Smart who liked the idea," Sam beams. "There was not even a project plan to speak of."
The other wise guys in the WISe team included James Sy, the IT Center’s database administrator; Albert Uy, the systems administrator; and the approving parties, including Sam as director of the center. How much did this revolutionary endeavor cost? Nothing much, they say. The database was already there for a long time and the infrastructure was available. "It was basically manpower cost," Sam says.
The beauty of WISe, Johnny relates, is that you don’t need a WAP-enabled phone to access information. "That was the mistake of everyone," he says, referring to the common misconception that you need a WAP phone to get into the database. He says users are very happy with WISe.
The WISe team is now experimenting in making information available through the Palm Pilot, a personal digital assistant (PDA). The system allows one with a Palm Pilot, after synchronizing it with the system, to download information from their servers. "An initial test is running now, the DLSU Newsletter is up there," Johnny shares his new discovery while showing a display of the publication on the PDA. He says texting is good for small bits of information but using the Palm Pilot allows you to carry more information. "We are finding out how we can leverage the new technologies of Globe and Smart. We are still figuring out how they work," he says.
The WISe guys have proven it could work  accessing information through texting. While other universities may try to follow the IT Center’s lead, think about the possibilities of making other kinds of information accessible through SMS. Think about using your cellphone to find out the last flight that touched down at the NAIA. Or the winning number in the lottery. Or the price of cooking oil in the grocery store. Or the band playing in Malate tonight. Or any information from the Net! The possibilities are limitless. All for P2 or P2.50 per message, at least for WISe, and without even spending for a WAP phone.
So what does Johnny get for this outstanding work? "More work!" Sam jokes, but nevertheless proud of the WISe guy. Johnny couldn’t be happier, with a long list of projects that are expected to revolutionize new available technologies.
(The WISe keywords are available at the DLSU website at www.dlsu.edu.ph. The service is available 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Mondays to Saturdays.)
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