A novel approach: Cloud-based real-time electronic notice board

The role of information and communication technologies (ICT) in universities is not a new concept in the current world scenario and with Indian government schemes such as “Digital India”, it is now more approachable and executable. The old traditional bulletin notice board system provides a scope for digitization with replacement using a much faster and efficient electronic modular notice board system which is paperless and reduces physical methods of maintenance and operations. This paper proposes an electronic cloud-based architecture for an e-notice board system for Rashtrasant Tukadoji MaharajNagpur University and can act as a seed model for smart universities in India, which consists of Light Emitting Diode (LED) monitors displaying textual, image or document notices generated through this system's Android smartphone-based or Web desktop-based applications. The proposed approach uses Java and XML languages for its Android application and Angular JS for its Web-based application with back-end cloud database system as Google Firebase for real-time syncing. A small micro-computer such as a Raspberry-Pi can be used for display purpose on the monitors by projecting a web browser. The system comprises of a Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) system and an external hosted MySQL server for delivering notifications based on the notices generated through the system. The entire system is modular with scalable and secure authentication levels, offline-notice generation support, realtime syncing of notices across all connected devices (smartphones, desktops and LED monitors) and an omnipresent cloud support. The system provides individual department as well as university level notice feeds.