PDAs help music institution conduct recruitment

The Royal Academy of Music is using secure handheld computers to help in the global recruitment of top students.

Recruiters use the system to stay in constant communication with the academy while they travel the world looking for talented musicians.

As a training institution, the Royal Academy is in competition with other countries to get the pick of the world’s best musical talent, says head of technology, Chris Meaney.

‘The institution has a global reach, and our professors and senior managers use these devices when decisions need to be made quickly,’ he said.

‘There have been situations where the PDAs have allowed us to make a decision on a student who otherwise would have gone to someone else.’

The Good Mobile Messaging system gives Academy travelling staff instant access to email, diary and calendar functions that automatically synchronise with its London-based server.

The PDAs also have an automatic ‘kill’ function so they can be wiped remotely of all sensitive data if they are stolen.

The need for speedy communication and collaboration on a global basis means telephony is no longer enough, says Quocirca analyst Clive Longbottom.

‘A PDA set up correctly can give you instant messaging, voice over IP and email in the one device,’ he said.

What do you think? Email us at feedback@computing.co.uk

Further reading:

• HSBC banks on mobile phones
• London tests satellite tracking
• British athletes get Olympic technology boost