As institutions explore OneCampus I am often asked a variety of similar questions. Recently, I sat down with Todd Yates, rSmart’s Vice President of Operations, to capture answers to some of the most frequently asked technical questions.
Q: Will OneCampus connect with my campus ERP system such as Banner, Kuali, Peoplesoft, and Datatel?
OneCampus is system agnostic, which means it works with all of these systems as well as with Google Apps, the Microsoft suite, and other web-based applications. OneCampus simply links to URLs of these systems. It can also “deep link” into your services or applications so users are sent directly to the info they need without having to click through or navigate several pages. In most cases, OneCampus points a user directly to a specific page within a site or software instead of the landing page or front page.
Q: Will OneCampus work with my campus authentication?
OneCampus is currently compatible with Shibboleth and CAS authentication and configuration is quite simple. If you are using a different system, we are happy to explore what options may exist to integrate your authentication with OneCampus. For example, if you have Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) or Active Directory (AD), we can often work together to front-end CAS with your authentication to help your system to work with OneCampus.
Q: If my campus leverages more than one authentication system, how will this impact the user experience?
Currently, a OneCampus tenant can only be connected to one authentication source. If you have more than one authentication system, we will work with you to determine the best one to use. This is typically where most of your systems are connected or what you plan to use long-term for your authentication. For applications using a different authentication (from what is connected to OneCampus), users will be prompted to log in again for those applications just as they do now.
Q: Does OneCampus integrate with my single sign-on (SSO)?
Yes. When a user logs into OneCampus they will also be signed-in to any applications that are also connected to your SSO solution (if they have permission or access to view). If you have single logout (SLO), OneCampus will work with that too and you can even adjust the logout time for your institution’s OneCampus environment.
Q: Do users need a login to access OneCampus?
OneCampus was designed with authentication as the “final” step. This means that users (students, faculty, staff, parents, prospective students, etc) can search and find services without needing to log in. However, once they desire to access an application that requires authentication, they will be prompted to log in. One of the benefits of logging in to OneCampus is that users can save their favorites, view recently accessed tasks, and set additional user preferences such as a home campus.
Q: Will OneCampus make my campus services mobile-friendly?
OneCampus has responsive design so searching for campus services is simple from any device but it will not affect the mobile compatibility of the end destination. You might consider it as a lightweight layer that provides a jumping off point to your various systems, services and applications. However, administrators can make it easier for users to know in advance which tasks are mobile-friendly by using the special phone icon.
Q: How do I access my OneCampus site? Is there an App to download?
There is no need to install an app or download. OneCampus is accessed directly through the browser on any device. It features a responsive design that will automatically adjust to your screen size or device. Many users find saving the URL as a bookmark or adding to their home screen makes it quicker and easier to access their institution’s OneCampus site.
Q: How does OneCampus help students who use Google or another search engine to find campus information or services?
OneCampus exposes all campus services and applications entered as tasks regardless of authentication type to Google and other frequently used search engines with its built-in search engine optimization (SEO) and metadata aggregation scripts. OneCampus also features a responsive (mobile-friendly) design that enhances Google website ratings. For detailed visibility into this data, institutions can also enter their Google Analytics ID into the administrator settings of OneCampus.
Do you have a technical question that wasn’t answered above?
Email us at info@rsmart.com or call us at 866.874.4338. We are happy to answer all of your OneCampus questions or coordinate a tailored demo for you!
The post Getting Connected: Authentication, SSO and Campus Systems appeared first on rSmart OneCampus.