BRIEFING PAPER

SOFTWARE PLATFORMS FOR MOBILE APPLICATIONS FOR AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT

INTRODUCTION related service provider that they work TYPES OF MOBILE This briefing paper is one of a series of with) to reduce the total costs of ICT APPLICATION interventions and the risks associated briefing papers to help USAID missions PLATFORMS and their implementing partners in sub- with their development. For the purposes of this paper, we will focus on A number of platforms are available Saharan use information and today and have already been described in communications technology (ICT) more platforms that have a mobile phone 3 other FACET papers2F . The lists below successfully —via sustainable and scalable component. are meant to illustrate and compare the approaches—to improve the impact of different types of platforms and are not Key Terms Used in This Paper their agriculture related development meant to be an exhaustive list of projects including Feed the Future 1 Software platform for mobile platforms. projects.0F The objective of this paper on software platforms for mobile applications (―mobile application platform‖ or ―platform‖ for short) – a pre-packaged 1. Mobile Application Platform applications for agriculture development ICT solution that delivers content and Purpose is to provide an overview of information services on a mobile phone, manages the The platforms differ in multiple ways as that will help distinguish between the content, and may or may not include hosting shown in the tables below. One way in options and enable decision-makers to as well as other services related to managing which they differ is whether or not the make a more informed choice. This and operating the platform. platform was originally designed paper is intended for those without ICT specifically for the agriculture sector. technical skills although it may be a Platform provider – the entity that develops and sells or distributes the software The ―General Purpose‖ tools are helpful tool for these readers to use as applicable to and being used across a they discuss options with ICT platform, such as an NGO like Frontline SMS, 2 a social enterprise (for-profit entity with a variety of sectors, such as health, professionals.1F social mission), or a for-profit private sector democracy and governance, natural firm like Microsoft. It may also be a resource management, and humanitarian A variety of mobile application platforms consortium of partners. relief operations as well as agriculture. for agriculture have come onto the Some of the best work on mobile market to address different issues in the Software as a service (SaaS) – a model application platforms has been done in developed in the private sector and adopted agriculture value chain. Few USAID the health sector, so these platforms projects take advantage of such in recent years by technology providers serving the development sector, where the should be considered even if they have platforms or seriously weigh them as an been used only in non-agriculture option, instead opting for custom customer accesses the software and hardware over the Internet, via a web sectors. A few examples are included in software development (that is, software browser, instead of purchasing the software Table 1 below. developed ―from scratch‖ albeit often and hardware and hosting it on their own using pre-built software components) premises. The SaaS providers host the 3 FACET profile papers are available for many and thereby underestimating the full software on their own hardware at a data of these mobile application platforms costs and risks of such an approach. center. mentioned, providing a one-page description These platforms (defined below) can be of the platform. See: used by USAID projects (and the ICT- Implementer – An entity, such as an NGO https://communities.usaidallnet.gov/ictforag/d working with a farmer group, a USAID- ocument-library/ict-and-ag-profiles funded project team, or a ministry of 1 ICT includes cell phone and Internet agriculture, that has acquired the platform services, radio, a wide range of digital devices and is implementing it for use by the and related tools including cameras, agricultural community by populating it with geographic information systems, and a wide content, training the community on how to range of hand-held computing devices. use the system, and has overall responsibility 2 For further assistance, USAID mission or for managing the use of the platform. project staff can contact the FACET project or an ICT services advisor. 1 Software Platforms for Mobile Applications for Agriculture Development Last updated October 2011 Table 1 – Mobile Application Platform Purpose

Intended Purpose Platform Brief Description Example Uses and Locations 4 General Purpose FrontlineU SMSU3F Text messaging system, both Cambodia (crop price information plus inbound and outbound other services); (info on the world market for the cashew value 5 chain); (farming advice via SMS4F and radio); Niger (market prices and literacy); (post-training evaluation by coffee farmers via SMS); (climate information alerts)

DataDyneU EpiSurveyor U EpiSurveyor is a web-based Used worldwide app for surveys. DataDyne’s roots are in public health but the tools are used across multiple sectors. 6 GoogleU TraderU5F Google Trader is a trading , system, like classified ads or a bulletin board for buyers and sellers to find each other.

Adapted to SouU ktel – Farm Price SMS Service U Market price information Farm Price SMS - Uganda; Souktel - Agriculture (adapted from existing Middle East, North Africa, Sub-Saharan JobMatch service) Africa 7 Voxiva’sU eSokoU6F Market price information - Ministry of Agriculture and (adapted from the Voxiva Animal Resources [MINAGRI], Covers public health information 78 commodities in 50 markets system)

DataDyneU Mobile Information MIP is a general purpose text Chile – market prices for 9 crops and

Platform (MIP) U messaging system that is 825 producers

currently being adaptedU in

Chile U for agriculture with several partners providing content and technology

Agriculture Specific EsokoU U Mobile-based agriculture Benin, , , market information exchange Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, for individuals and businesses , , Mali, , Rwanda, Northern , Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia

GoogleU Farmer’s Friend U Farmer's Friend provides farm Uganda extension-type services

IFFCOU Kisan Sanchar Limited Voice-based agriculture India, 3 million users, 15 call centers

(IKSL)U information service serving 18 states 8 KenCallU ’s M-KilimoU7F Voice-based farm extension Kenya – market prices for 41 service (they are testing SMS commodities in 8 markets, 30,000 for some info) via a call unique subscribers center

ManobiU U Market information system Senegal (food security, mango, beans, with related agriculture fishing) information services Mali (mango) Cote d'Ivoire (cashew) Niger (food security)

4 See cases of FrontlineSMS for agriculture at http://www.frontlinesms.com/tag/agriculture/ 5 SMS stands for Short Message Service, which is the text messaging capability available on mobile networks and on all mobile phones. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS for more information. 6 Google Trader and Farmer’s Friend were developed by a partnership between Google, Grameen Foundation, and MTN Uganda and are based on Google SMS and its SMS Tips feature currently offers tips and advice on health, clinic locations, and agriculture. See also http://google- africa.blogspot.com/2009/06/google-sms-to-serve-needs-of-poor-in.html 7 This is the name of the service used in Rwanda where it has been implemented. It is important to note that this is an entirely different system from Esoko, which has a very similar name and is developed by a Ghanaian firm. 8 KenCall is a contact center business and launched M-Kilimo as a CSR initiative. See http://www.kencall.com/index.php/site/kenya_farmers_helpline/ 2 Software Platforms for Mobile Applications for Agriculture Development Last updated October 2011 Intended Purpose Platform Brief Description Example Uses and Locations

Agriculture Specific NokiaU Life Tools (NLT)U Mobile information service India – 275 crops, 5000+ markets and (information via text message traders across 22 states on Agriculture, Education, China – 100 crops, 2000+ markets and Healthcare and traders Entertainment) – available Indonesia – 200 crops, 201 markets only on select Nokia phones across 33 provinces Nigeria – 25 crops, 111 markets across 36 states

ReutersU Market Light (RML) U Market and agriculture India – 250 crops, 250,000 farmers in information system 13 states

TechnoBrainU BioReg GRSU Biometrically-registered Malawi – Tobacco Control grower registration system Commission, 400,000 farmers are for regulated commodities registered in the system

The ―General Purpose‖ platforms countries, being one of the first to instance, the BioReg GRS system was offer functionality that serves a offer access from wireless devices. custom developed by TechnoBrain, a broad need, such as sending text Souktel’s system arose out of their Microsoft partner based in Tanzania messages to a number of people and well-known JobMatch service, in this and operating in East Africa, for the receiving text messages from people, case adapted to allow farmers to Tobacco Control Commission so there is less pre-built functionality advertise the goods they have for (TCC) of Malawi to improve their for specific needs like agriculture sale and buyers to view the goods operations. The TCC’s role is to market prices for multiple varieties and prices. The system is in the pre- regulate the production, of a crop. However these platforms launch phase so there are no farmers manufacture, and marketing of 10 provide the ability to customize the using the system at the moment.9F tobacco and the BioReg GRS system system, such as the ability to define Souktel’s platform is also used today provides an integrated set of contact groups or to create surveys, in South Sudan for getting listener functionality to register farmers using through the use of forms that a non- feedback by community radios. This biometrics (fingerprint), license technical person can fill out to set is potentially another way Souktel farmers, specify the kind of tobacco up. If the source code is available, as can support agriculture initiatives, by the farmer can grow, and allocate a is the case with Frontline SMS, which incorporating it into agriculture certain yield that will be allowed to is built using open source programs on community radio. be sold. technology, a software developer DataDyne’s DatAgro system in could customize the platform by Chile, based on MIP, uses SMS One well-known platform not changing the underlying source code messaging to allow small-scale mentioned here is Ushahidi. It is or writing additional code as agricultural producers to send and best known as a platform for 9 needed.8F The other types of mobile receive information about crop receiving SMS data and processing it application platforms also have the prices, market information, weather in real-time to display information on ability to customize the software, updates, local news, and other a map. It has become an essential through data entry and configuration information. DataDyne’s MIP tool for crisis reporting and election forms as well as data import or platform is being rewritten and is in monitoring, to name a few uses. The upload tools. pilot testing. DataDyne has several research for this paper did not other projects in various stages of identify specific implementations for Souktel, Voxiva’s eSoko system, and proposal and approval to adapt MIP agriculture but Ushahidi could have DataDyne’s MIP are in the ―Adapted for other agriculture as well as health applicability to agriculture, for 11 to Agriculture‖ category because to sector purposes.10F Given that the instance to map pest reports to date they each have one example of latter two platforms are under track a potential outbreak of an a usage outside their original scope development, this paper will focus on insect infestation. and are in early stages of the other mobile application development and use. Voxiva’s platforms. 2. Mobile Application Platform eSoko system is based on their many Services Architecture years of work providing health Some platforms were designed for This paper uses the term ―platform‖ information systems in developing specific agriculture processes. For rather broadly. It does not refer strictly to the software component 9 All free software is not necessarily 10 Email exchange with Souktel, Inc. on or hardware component but to the open source (i.e. the code might not be July 10, 2011. entire ICT solution, as illustrated in public and editable, despite the software 11 Email exchange with Datadyne on July the architecture diagram below. The being free). Make sure to check first. 5, 2011. 3 Software Platforms for Mobile Applications for Agriculture Development Last updated October 2011 diagram is a highly simplified The User Interface or Presentation Management and Hosting depiction of the major components Layer which presents the content components of the platform can of a mobile application platform, to the end user on a mobile phone vary. Sometimes both the which include the following: as an SMS or via a mobile implementer and the provider The Hosting Infrastructure as the application loaded on the phone, contribute to the task as can be seen foundation via a web page, or via an in Table 2. In some cases the ―End The Content Management system interactive voice response system User‖, such as a farmer or trader, is which is comprised of the database (IVR) that prompts the end user the one generating the content. In where the content resides, the with questions to direct their call other cases an end-to-end solution is programming logic (code) to to the answer or the right person an option, in which the platform manage that data (data entry, with whom to speak. provider employs their own update, send and receive data), and enumerators (data or content the forms that an implementer The mobile application platforms collectors) and handles all hosting would use for data management differ in the services they provide and connectivity responsibilities. and upload as well as for the and how they provide it, as shown in configuration and setup required Table 2 below. Specifically, for certain functions to work responsibility for the Content

Figure 1 - High Level Mobile Application Platform Services Architecture

Table 2 – Mobile Application Platform Services Architecture

User Interface/Presentation of Hosting Content Management Content Responsibility SMS Web Mobile IVR Call Who Manages the Content Generated By app Center Content (J2ME or 12 WAP)11F Frontline X Implementer Implementer Implementer SMS TechnoBrain X Implementer Implementer Implementer BioReg GRS Google X X n/a End User (see description Provider Trader below) Nokia Life X Provider Provider and Partners Provider Tools (NLT) Reuters X Provider Provider and/or Partners Provider

12 Indicates that a mobile phone application is available for phones that work with Java or WAP, namely ―smart‖ phones versus the basic phone that is the most widely used in most rural poor areas. SMS will work on any mobile phone. 4 Software Platforms for Mobile Applications for Agriculture Development Last updated October 2011 User Interface/Presentation of Hosting Content Management Content Responsibility SMS Web Mobile IVR Call Who Manages the Content Generated By app Center Content (J2ME or 12 WAP)11F Market Light (RML) Google X Provider Partners Provider Farmer’s Friend IKSL X X Provider Provider and/or Partners Provider KenCall’s M- X X Provider Provider and/or Partners Provider Kilimo Manobi X X X Implementer Implementer Provider Voxiva’s X X X X Implementer Implementer Provider eSoko Esoko X X X Implementer and Implementer and Provider Provider (optional) Provider (optional)

The degree of control and responsibility customer, essentially becoming a normal charge for a phone call or SMS that these mobile application platforms ―software as a service‖ (SaaS) provider. with the exception of Google Farmer’s 14 offer relative to the degree of control Friend. 13F and responsibility that you want or need Google Trader is an example of a are some of the factors to consider platform whose content is generated by In the case of content management, when evaluating a platform. For the end users. Farmers or traders send partners such as government agencies example, in the case of Frontline SMS, in a text message with buy or sell offers, and non-governmental organizations the implementer downloads the and then those offers can be viewed or (NGOs) are often involved to provide software for free, hosts it on their own searched on the mobile phone or on the and/or validate the content such as personal computer or laptop with a web. This could be thought of as a market prices, weather, advice and tips. mobile phone or GSM modem attached, simplified version of an online classified sets up their own contact lists and ads system like Craigslist. Some of these systems are available only content for text messages, and can start on certain mobile networks or sending SMS. FrontlineSMS is described Manobi, Esoko, and Voxiva’s eSoko technologies: as an entry-level system and for many it follow the SaaS model. The implementer Nokia Life Tools is available on certain 13 will be the best solution.12F The other can load content into the system by Nokia phone models. Nokia has products based on FrontlineSMS, such as themselves. Additionally, with Esoko its partnered with most of the major FrontlineSMS: Radio and FrontlineSMS: franchisees (see the Business Model mobile network operators (MNOs) in Credit, might offer an intriguing option section for more detail) may employ the four countries where Nokia Life to integrate other functionality to serve their own enumerators who visit the Tools is available (India, Indonesia, the agricultural community. markets to collect market data and China, and Nigeria) prices to populate into the system. IKSL is available only with a special TechnoBrain follows the traditional Bharti Airtel SIM card called ―Green 15 model of selling a software license to Nokia Life Tools (NLT), Reuters Market SIM‖14F customers who are then responsible for Light, Google Farmer’s Friend, IKSL, and managing and hosting the platform KenCall, offer the entire ―stack‖ of 14 A variety of subscription models and themselves as well as the content, but mobile application platform services as business models are available for these and all TechnoBrain has also provided technical depicted in Figure 1, using different platforms discussed. Subscriptions can be at assistance to help customers when methods to deliver the content to a the individual farmer level or at an needed, for example with data uploads mobile phone or the Internet, working association/group level. Also services can be and registering users. In the future they with partners to collect, validate, and sponsored by large buyers, processors, plan to implement a ―multi-tenant‖ translate the content into multiple agrodealers, governments or some combination thereof. Business models are platform in which TechnoBrain will languages, manage the database, and discussed further in the next section. provide the hosting infrastructure for the provide the hosting infrastructure. 15 http://gsmworld.com/documents/iksl-case- Note that these platforms are all private study-v2.pdf 13 sector-driven and they each charge a http://www.frontlinesms.com/aboutthesoftwa subscription fee or the user must pay the re/functionality-walkthrough/ 5 Software Platforms for Mobile Applications for Agriculture Development Last updated October 2011 3. Business Models profitability (hence have not been scaled different models are being tried as Most of these systems have not yet to 100,000s of users), but several shown in Table 3 below. reached a solid level of sustainability or

Table 3 - Business and Revenue Model

Platforms Non-profit For-profit Donor Private Fee Support investors FrontlineSMS X X Free

Google Trader and X X X Free to the farmer Farmer’s Friend Manobi X X Free at entry-level, fees for more advanced features and/or service Esoko X X X Combination franchise and organizational subscription model; cost to farmer may be subsidized (see below)

Voxiva’s eSoko X X X Farmer pays normal SMS cost

Reuters Market Light and X Farmer pays Nokia Life Tools subscription fee KenCall’s M-Kilimo and X X Farmer pays normal IKSL call cost TechnoBrain BioReg GRS X Implementer pays for license

Esoko’s business model is evolving given services, and SMS to customers. These associations for the Esoko service or it has been in the agriculture information private companies typically exist use of its platform. services business for several years and in already and intend to use Esoko's Private businesses that sell licenses to several countries across sub-Saharan offerings as a complement to what multinational corporations and Africa. It is exploring several different they’re already doing. This model does businesses for the Esoko service or business models, which is why it is being not require equity investment, and the use of its platform. highlighted below, as follows: reseller does not have to meet Private franchise where private performance targets while they Esoko has selected a ―Prime Licensee‖, companies seek private equity maintain some levels of exclusivity in a Wellspring, to provide support to investment and sell (mostly country. Licensees will handle data customers in Malawi as part of the organization level as opposed to collection, MNO negotiation, sales and sustainability plan for the USAID East farmer level) subscriptions, client support. Licensees also share African Market Linkages Initiative training/consulting services, and deliver revenue with Esoko, though provide (MLI). One benefit MLI sees in the services via SMS to target customers. Esoko with a higher percentage of licensee model is that the licensee will be Franchises will handle data collection, sales than a franchisee. a local presence and will directly support marketing, customer service, Public-private partnerships where an its clients, while Esoko will directly operations, and interconnect issues NGO is funded by a donor to support the licensee. In general the local between Esoko systems and MNOs. jumpstart a market information system franchisee or licensee does not need to They will share revenue with Esoko with the long-term sustainability plan have technical skills to fulfill its role so and must meet minimum performance of transitioning operations to a private the general scarcity of qualified local ICT standards. enterprise resources will not impact the success of A licensee or reseller model in which Public projects that sell licenses to the project. private companies sell Esoko's Ministries of Agriculture, NGOs, or subscriptions, training/consulting 6 Software Platforms for Mobile Applications for Agriculture Development Last updated October 2011 CHALLENGES FOR THE has teamed up with the Bill and Melinda SUCCESSFUL AND Some of the business models being tried Gates Foundation and INSEAD to SUSTAINABLE offer the service only on specific models address this problem to create a of mobile phone or only to subscribers prototype agriculture database and IMPLEMENTATION OF of a specific mobile network. Time will dashboard that will be sharable across MOBILE APPLICATION tell whether these models will prove multiple mobile application platforms for 20 FOR AGRICULTURE successful for both the platform agriculture.19F It is being tested now with 1. Business Model providers who seek to retain old and three to four agriculture information There are very few examples of business attract new customers, and farmers who services in sub-Saharan Africa. models for mobile application platforms may or may not have an issue with being for agriculture that have scaled to locked in to one brand of phone or The dynamic content must be collected 100,000s if not millions of farmers and mobile network. at regular intervals, daily or weekly. do not rely on ongoing government or Market price collection may require a donor support. India is the one market It may not be possible to eliminate all team to physically visit the markets to where there are examples that have donor, NGO, or government support. It collect updated prices and the prices scaled. They also happen to be led by or may require a gradual transition, perhaps must be regularly checked for accuracy. have significant involvement from the starting as a donor-supported service or Weather information requires private sector, most likely due to India’s public-private partnership while at the coordination with the national weather market size and therefore potential: a same time the donor-funded project service and must be timely, accurate, and 16 identifies an organization that can take relevant to a farmer’s specific location. population of 1.19 billion15F , 70% of which 17 18 over responsibility before the conclusion is rural16F , and 61% mobile penetration.17F The first well-known large-scale ICT of the project and prepares for that 3. Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) solutions for agriculture, namely ITC’s e- transition. Anyone who intends to implement a Choupal, Reuters Market Light and mobile application platform for Nokia Life Tools, were private sector 2. Content agriculture should calculate the total initiatives launched in India. A venture Probably the largest recurring cost and cost of ownership (TCO) to allocate that has gained more recent attention is operational burden in any mobile funds in the budget and set expectations. IKSL, a joint venture between the Indian application platform for agriculture is One area where people tend to be Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Ltd managing the content. There are two misled is by the concept of ―free (IFFCO) and two private sector actors main types of content: fairly ―static‖ software‖. The truth is that ―free‖ does (Bharti Airtel and Star Global Resources content that does not change, such as not mean there is no cost. With ―free‖ Limited). IKSL also has received grant information about agricultural processes software, there is no license or and technical assistance from the GSMA and techniques, and content that is subscription fee to purchase the 19 dynamic, such as weather and market software but there are other costs. One mAgri Programme.18F All are reporting user numbers in the 100,000s; what price information. or more technical staff may be required would be more useful to know is the to install and support the software, percentage of users that are active users Much of the static agricultural content is hardware and connectivity to the versus users who have tried the system not readily available in digital form. Internet and/or mobile networks, and only once or twice. The prevalence of Trusted, reliable sources for content hardware may need to be purchased. agriculture ICT ventures in India raises such as tips and advice for planting and This is not too heavy a burden with a the question of whether agriculture ICT disease management must be obtained platform like Frontline SMS which is an initiatives in other countries, with a and then rendered in the mobile entry-level system and well-suited for smaller population, can attract the same application platform such that searches lower volume or scale needs. It could level of private investment, a reliable return the expected results and the be a good place to start and become revenue stream, and achieve similar scale content is easily retrieved. A team of familiar with how SMS works. However and sustainability. people is required to convert the if the goal for your project is national content into a usable and accessible scale or high SMS volumes, other 16 See: form, whether that be into 140 or 160 platforms should be considered which https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the- character strings that can be sent via a may or may not have a higher TCO. world-factbook/geos/in.html text message, or as records in a call The key is to understand whether the 17 Ibid. center database. Sometimes the content benefits outweigh the costs and to get 18 http://www.itu.int/ITU- is already available but resides in the most value for money. D/ict/statistics/material/excel/2010/MobileCell disparate repositories from which the ularSubscriptions00-10.xls data must be extracted, consolidated, 20 See: 19 http://gsmworld.com/documents/iksl-case- edited and deduplicated, and may need http://dl.dropbox.com/u/29582486/mAgri%20 study-v2.pdf. GSMA is an industry association Working%20Group-%20Cape%20Town- of mobile operators and the broader mobile to be translated into multiple local %20Presentations/GSMA%20mFarmer_Conte ecosystem. languages. The GSMA mFarmer initiative nt_Dashboard.pdf 7 Software Platforms for Mobile Applications for Agriculture Development Last updated October 2011 Below is a short list of questions and i. This is not necessarily about To calculate the TCO, include at criteria to consider when evaluating and university degrees, but about minimum: selecting a mobile application platform their experience in developing 22 a. Any other software required and for agriculture21F : and launching similar ICT cost of support and maintenance 1. Evaluate the platform for both platforms or products in terms b. Staff needed (technical and non- business and technical viability to of complexity and leading their technical) ensure sustainability and scale. The teams through several release c. Hardware needed, if any, for platform your project chooses will cycles. additional computers, mobile phones depend on the project’s goals, b. Technologies used: for staff and cost of support and growth and scaling targets. i. Is the agriculture ICT platform maintenance based on open or well-known d. Volume of SMS or voice calls 2. For business viability, look for a standards? i. With more generalized systems platform with a track record: ii. Is the technology current or like Frontline SMS, since the a. Number of years the platform less widely used (becoming implementer is responsible for the has been available (preferably the obsolete)? connectivity to the MNO, s/he current version) c. System reliability: must think about the expected b. Number of years the platform i. What are your uptime message or voice volume that will provider has been in business requirements or downtime be generated. If the SMS volume c. Number of customers and constraints and does the will be large, consider whether number of actual users using the platform meet these your project needs to negotiate platform (―installed base‖): requirements/constraints? This for bulk SMS rates or use an SMS i. Are any of these customers requires the platform provider 21 aggregator.20F similar in size, scope, and scale to have appropriate resources ii. Volume will also determine as your project will have? on hand or on call, well- whether your current Internet ii. Ask for references and talk to documented procedures, and service has the capacity to handle the references using a redundancy built in to the the expected volume of web structured interview form system. traffic generated by use of the iii. In the case of open source d. Quality assurance and customer platform and the capacity of the software like Frontline SMS, the support service: hardware needed to support the size of the community of users i. What kind of internal testing expected load and data volume. and developers is important. does the provider perform on An active community is an the platform? QUESTIONS TO ASK AND indicator of the viability of the ii. When is customer support FACTORS TO CONSIDER platform, as can be seen by the available by phone, email, or the volume, date, and frequency of web? Will there be a person WHEN EVALUATING A the posts to the online designated to your account? MOBILE APPLICATION community forums used for PLATFORM questions and answers 4. Develop a detailed set of functional Once a project has determined that a d. Financial stability of the platform requirements and selection criteria mobile application platform for provider and prioritize them: agriculture is needed to increase the e. Background of the management, a. Examples of high-level impact of its work, it must select a founders, investors requirements include ―ability to platform. Using a platform that has been f. Experience negotiating with do SMS push and pull‖, ―ability to through several software development MNOs organize farmer profiles by cycles and has a large user base and geographic hierarchy (city, client references can reduce the risk and 3. For technical viability, review: province, region, country)‖, and cost of implementing and operating a a. Background of chief ―self-service capabilities such as platform compared to developing a technologists: allowing farmers to self-subscribe system from scratch. to specific SMS content or to 22 This is a very brief, high level list of change their profile information‖. questions and criteria. A project may want to engage an independent and well-qualified 21 For more information about SMS 5. Where do you want to invest your ICT advisor who has experience with vendor aggregators see: project’s capital and resources? evaluations and can assist with a more http://www.mobilestorm.com/resources/digit a. In content creation, software comprehensive evaluation. This is something al-marketing-blog/sms-and-sms-aggregators- development, or system that the FACET project may be able to assist playing-catch-up/ with as well. maintenance? This will help your project determine which

8 Software Platforms for Mobile Applications for Agriculture Development Last updated October 2011 makes the most sense: to LOOKING FORWARD purchase a traditional license and In the last eight to ten years, the RESOURCES run the mobile application exploding growth of mobile phones in FACET profiles on specific mobile platform on your premises or to developing countries has created application platforms described in this select a provider who will numerous opportunities to leverage the paper as well as briefs on related ICTs manage the entire platform for reach and ubiquity of mobile networks. for agriculture are available at: your project. Mobile applications gained momentum https://communities.usaidallnet.gov/ic b. This depends in part on your quickly in the health sector and we now tforag/document-library/ict-and-ag- scaling and growth goals. At see firms such as Voxiva, DataDyne and profiles smaller scales and lower message Souktel (which began with a job match volumes, it may be more cost- service) in the early stages of adapting Cranston, P. ―The potential of effective to host the platform their existing mobile application mobile applications for positive social yourself. platforms for agriculture and other and economic change in

purposes. They are well-known and rural communities‖ (CTA, 2010). 6. There may be a well-functioning have had previous success. It is worth mobile application platform for monitoring the development of these Dymond, A. and Esselaar, S. ―Mobile agriculture already operating in the platforms as new features and functions Applications for Rural Development country. In that case, there may be are added and more implementations go for the World Bank‖ (Presentation no need to reinvent the wheel. online. on January 20, 2011). Instead a donor, implementer, or

government agency should find ways The Esoko franchise business model will Several articles by various authors about to enable, enhance, or catalyze the also be interesting to watch. The community knowledge workers (CKWs), use of the existing platform. This franchise model is also being tried in and their use of Google Farmer’s Friend may include bringing more farmers, other sectors such as health care in and Google Trader, DataDyne’s Mobile users or subscribers on to the India, so this model should be observed Information Platform (MIP) in Chile platform; creating or improving the to apply lessons learned. called DatAgro, and Nokia Life Tools: quality of the content; providing ICT Update, Issue 53, February funds for market research on the The phone still serves a critical purpose 2010, CTA. real needs of the farmer; monitoring as a communications device. One simple and evaluating impact and customer thing that can make a big difference and satisfaction; identifying best that projects can easily do today is to practices; and documenting what collect the names, locations and cell does and does not work. phone numbers of the farmers, traders, DISCLAIMER

truckers, and other stakeholders in their The views expressed in this

agricultural community and make that publication do not necessarily information available. Simply having the reflect the views of the U.S. Agency information to call someone to for International Development or coordinate logistics and negotiate prices the U.S. Government. can have a significant benefit for the farmer.

This series of papers is supported by USAID’s Fostering Agriculture Competitiveness Employing Information Communication Technologies (FACET) project under the Financial Integration, Economic Leveraging, Broad-Based Dissemination and Support Leaders with Associates award (FIELD-Support LWA). It was written by Alice T. Liu with input from Judy Payne of USAID. FACET offers on-demand field support to help missions with the challenges of using these ICT interventions in agricultural development. To learn more about field support options, contact Judy Payne, ICT Advisor, ([email protected]). 9 Software Platforms for Mobile Applications for Agriculture Development Last updated October 2011