SMS services for farmers

Bitcomp, a Finnish-Polish software company, specialised in software development for agriculture and forestry has developed a service called RemoteAdviser, in cooperation with Finnish advisory organisation (ProAgria). They were testing also SMS messaging during the last summer within the framework of the eFarmer pilot project. Unlike typical SMS service, RemoteAdvisor service is based on centralised Internet application (WebWisu). WebWisu itself is a Rich Internet Application for plant production. It's offering full planning tools, GIS part, subsidy applications, mobile client, etc. User of WebWisu can grant access to farm data for advisors and for other service providers. After that, farmer and the advisor can share plans, reports and communicate remotely. Moreover, advisor has a specific interface which he/she can use for searching contacts and and for sending messages. Advisor can write messages directly to farm plot booking (to the database), send emails and/or send SMS. In connection of this eFarmer pilot, they have made also a small survey among the pilot farms, and the feedback has been very promising. Farmers appreciate easiness and there is clear demand for 'push style' services where farmer themselves don't have to be active. But these messages have to be 'well-tailored' and sent only for well-defined target group. Otherwise they are considered as SPAM. Source: e-agriculture

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