[:en]The brand new Maties App was launched in the Neelsie last Wednesday. But before you experience serious FOMO, we have all the inside info for you.

The Maties app is a collaboration between Information Technology and Maties Sport after they envisioned a single place for staff and students to engage with hosted activities on campus. 

Among the benefits are the promotion of an active lifestyle and getting students and staff involved with competition-based leaderboards. Users of the application will be able to follow their favourite Maties sports team to see the latest results, fixtures and news. Students will be able to keep track of their cluster or residence’s placing on campus-wide competitions.

The goal was to provide a mobile application that can serve as the initial base for further development together with stakeholders and at the same time offer immediate value to the user and university alike. In the long term you will see a larger variety of events as they get listed on the Maties App. Users will be able to get a personalised list of events they are attending and interested in – just add it to a phone’s calendar or share it with friends. 

As with other social media platforms, you will be able to see how many people are also attending your event or activity. You will be able to check in at events by means of a QR code. No need for a paper ticket, just check-in at events using your app.

On the other side of the user spectrum, event organisers can disseminate important events and get students involved and active. At the same time, organisers will get an idea of how many people are interested and who have indicated that they will attend an event. No complicated form is needed since the user is already logged in and we know who is attending the event.

Additionally, users of the app will receive notifications of event information and changes, as well as campus-wide communique. Any message can be sent directly to users’ phones via the app and it can be targeted to a specific event, or to demographic (e.g. staff, students, or everyone) This function will be especially helpful during emergency situations when it is necessary to notify staff and students of important information and updates. 

Curious to see what it looks like? Watch the video here or read the article on the SU homepage.

The Maties App can be downloaded for free from the Google Play store. Please let us know what you think and how we can make it better?

[:af]Die blinknuwe Maties App is verlede Woensdag in die Neelsie bekendgestel, maar moenie FOMO ontwikkel omdat jy dit misgeloop het nie. Hier is alles wat jy moet weet.

Die Maties App is ʼn gesamentlike poging tussen Informasietegnologie en Maties Sport. Dit het ontstaan met die idee om ʼn enkele platform te skep waar personeel en studente interaksies kan hê oor verskeie aktiwiteite wat op kampus gebied word.

Die toepassing poog om ʼn aktiewe lewenstyl te bevorder en personeel en studente betrokke te kry by kompetisie-gebaseerde leierborde. Gebruikers kan hulle gunsteling Maties sportspanne volg en ook die nuutste resultate, nuus en speelbeurte sien. Studente kan weer tred hou met hul groepe (clusters) of koshuis se plasing in kampuswye kompetisies.

Die doel was om ʼn mobiele toepassing daar te stel wat kan dien as ʼn aanvanklike basis vir verdere ontwikkeling saam met belanghebbendes. Terselfdertyd moes dit dadelik ewe veel waarde bied aan die gebruiker en die universiteit. 

ʼn Groter verskeidenheid aktiwiteite en geleenthede sal mettertyd op die Maties App gelys word. Tans kan gebruikers reeds ʼn verpersoonlikte lys van gebeure waarin hulle belangstel en gaan bywoon, sien. Dit kan dan bygevoeg word op jou foon se kalender en met vriende gedeel word.

Soos met ander sosiale media platforms, kan jy sien hoeveel mense ʼn geleentheid of aktiwiteit bywoon. Jy kan selfs aanmeld (check-in) by geleenthede sonder ʼn papierkaartjie deur ʼn QR-kode te laat skandeer.

Aan die ander kant van die spektrum kan organiseerders van geleenthede maklik inligting oor belangrike geleenthede versprei en vinniger en meer effektief studente aktief en betrokke kry. Organiseerders kan ʼn idee kry van die hoeveel geïnteresseerdes en wie aangedui het dat hulle die geleentheid wil bywoon. Dis nie nodig om ʼn ingewikkelde vorm te gebruik nie. Die gebruiker is reeds aangeteken en sy details is sigbaar.

ʼn Ekstra voordeel van die Maties App is dat gebruikers maklik nuwe, opgedateerde inligting oor gebeure, sowel as kampuswye kommunikasie, kan ontvang. Enige boodskap kan direk na gebruikers se fone gestuur word en dit kan geteiken word tot ʼn spesifieke geleentheid of demografiese groep (byvoorbeeld studente, personeel of almal) Hierdie funksie is besonder handig gedurende noodsituasies wanneer inligting vinnig by studente en personeel moet uitkom. 

Is jy nuuskierig om te sien hoe dit lyk? Kyk gerus die video hier of lees die artikel op die US-tuisblad.

Die Maties App kan gratis afgelaai word by die Google Play store. Laat weet ons wat jy daarvan dink en wat ons kan doen om dit te verbeter?