An InfoStations-based intelligent messaging system

An active dialogue between all the members of a university community is a vital part of the education process. A campus wide communications system, which allows lecturers and students to communicate through multiple communications protocols, which intelligently chooses how and when to deliver a message, will greatly improve students’ ability to learn and lecturers’ ability to teach. This thesis describes the design and implementation of such a system, the Intelligent Messaging System (IMeS). Further by creating a service which is modular both in the communications protocols that are supported and the way the information is presented to the user, the IMeS is able to adapt and respond to changes in the way people, in particular young people who make up the majority of the student body, use technology to communicate. By rapidly supporting new communications protocols and technologies, the IMeS will stay relevant to the way its users communicate as new technologies for communication emerge. Much of this flexibility is provided by leveraging the Java Agent DEvelopment (JADE) framework, which allows the development of asynchronous agent-based systems. Initially this thesis describes the implementation of the IMeS with access via a web site, Short Message Service (SMS) and email, and provides a roadmap of integrating other communications protocols as additional services. The IMeS provides a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) Application Programming Interface (API), which allows the expansion of how users can interact with the system, in particular allowing dedicated applications to be created for mobile devices. The web site is built on this API, proving it is both functionally operational and fit for purpose.