With the fast global spread of the COVID-19 virus in early 2020, the world as we know it changed. Social distancing became the new norm and an innocent cold was suddenly cause for a two-week quarantine, just to be on the safe side.

Many governments and organizations were quick to develop technology solutions that could either help prevent - or trace - the spread of coronavirus.

At The University of Auckland - a public research university based in New Zealand - a contact tracing system was put in place for students and staff still using the university buildings.

The way in which The University of Auckland have developed their solution is a great example of the types of customized solutions that can be tailored with MazeMap’s platform. The solution is scalable and can be adapted for different scenarios, even after the pandemic has subsided.

We spoke to Andy Abel, Digital Solutions Architect at The University of Auckland, who told us more about the project:

“The University was required to deliver a solution for recording visits to each of its buildings for contact-tracing purposes.

Various "check-in"-style apps were considered, but they were all based on scanning QR codes. The effort required to create and display codes for several hundred buildings (not all of them in Auckland) was unpalatable. There were also question marks over the security and sovereignty of the sensitive data captured.

At the time, MazeMap were in the process of mapping the entire University, and a project was underway to develop a maps and wayfinding web application using MazeMap's Javascript API. Given that users could already locate any room across 7 of the University's campuses, it seemed a logical step to integrate "check-in" functionality.

Around 1500 check-ins are recorded each day, at a time when no staff or students are required to be on campus. The uptake of the solution is driven largely by placing the functionality within an application that people already find useful.

Another great thing about the solution is that it will continue to be useful long after Covid-19 has gone, as the ability to easily locate a space and "check-in" to it has many different applications, from event attendance to real-time tracking of occupancy.

The solution continues to evolve, with the latest addition being student timetable integration. It's now even easier for students to find where they're supposed to be and "check-in", and of course get directions too.”

If you’re interested in learning more about the solutions we have on offer, you can reach us here.

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