Abstract

NETO, M.C.; MAIA, J.; MELLO, L. Queiroz e  and  FERNANDES, L. M.. Mobile computing in agriculture. Rev. de Ciências Agrárias [online]. 2007, vol.30, n.1, pp.111-120. ISSN 0871-018X.

The new information and communication technologies adoption and use in the different economy sectors are being responsible for the generation of new and interesting business models. Amongst the possibilities we face today and by the potential it offers to the agricultural sector we call the attention to the “m-Business”. The “m-Business” can be defined as using mobile Technologies to support goods, services, information and knowledge exchange. This model includes a wide range of mobile activities, namely communication between people using electronic mail, the possibility to receive products information through short messages services or collecting field information with wireless personal digital assistants. The “m-Business” refers not only to final consumers applications but also enterprise solutions that support organizations in their relations with the costumers and generate additional profits. This model by using the convergence of mobile phone and Internet Technologies to support the new information and communication technologies use anywhere anytime has a high potential for the agricultural field where the spatial component and the need to follow the business in the field are the daily concerns of the managers acting in this field. In this work we will present some national initiatives that are being launched in the agricultural field taking advantage from mobile computing solutions and draw some conclusions about their potential to the agricultural sector. We will also present some developments under way in this field specially in the communication networks field where the “WiMax” technology big promises can make us believe that in the near future we will have broad band access in the rural areas.

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