Press Room
Revolutionary Palm Solution Helps Ensure Healthier Cows and a Better-managed Herd
D&K Technology and Palm Give Farmers a Hand
June 26, 2002 -- D&K Technology, an Australian agricultural software development company, has introduced Australian farmers to Palm handhelds as a tool to improve their efficiency levels when recording herd data. The FarmHand application is an innovative solution built on the Palm OS® platform that provides farmers with valuable herd information while they are in the field, ranging from grandparentage details and health history to mating information and milk-production measurements. Farmers must maintain detailed information on their livestock in order to make timely and calculated decisions that can lead to increases in profitability.
FarmHand operates on Palm OS 3.5 or greater, giving farmers the choice of any of the current handheld products from Palm, Inc. (Nasdaq: PALM).
Previously, farmers used a pen-and-paper system to record animal details on the field, and therefore could not access their databases whilst on the paddock. With FarmHand, farmers can carry around a database of information on their stock and make notes while on-the-go. Information is then synchronised to the main database on a desktop computer at the end of the day. Farmers who no longer have to enter data manually on the desktop system are saving as much as five hours each week on administration tasks.
Providing Farmers with an Electronic Herd Tracker
Under a National Livestock Identification Scheme, many Australian
farmers have implanted their animals with a radio-frequency
passive transponder (RFID), which emits a unique low-frequency
code, providing each animal with an individual identity. With
expanded software that recognises these transponders via either
a handheld wand or a wall-mounted aerial with a direct connection
to a Palm handheld, farmers can obtain on-the-spot information
on individual animals electronically. When a cow arrives for
milking, its RFID is recognised and the animal's history is
automatically displayed on the Palm handheld. This information
typically includes any recent drug treatments that might preclude
her from being milked, thus ensuring milk quality control.
Farmers also use cell counts as indicators of an animal's health. With FarmHand, past and current cell counts of each animal are loaded onto the handheld's database. When the farmer is doing his rounds, he can electronically identify sick animals by their low cell counts and separate them for treatment.
In addition to eliminating the need for paperwork and helping herd owners to maintain timely, accurate information about their herds, the Palm solution prevents any duplication of diagnostic tests or treatments given the animals. The capacity to make critical and timely decisions helps farmers ensure the health of their herds.
"The versatility of Palm handhelds -- from the office to the farm -- opens the imagination to the wide range of available applications," says Lesley McKnight, marketing manager, Australia, New Zealand and India, Palm, Inc. "We are excited that the agricultural industry is using handheld technology, and we look forward to seeing future expansion into beef and other herd markets."
About Palm, Inc.
Palm, Inc. is a pioneer in the field of mobile and wireless Internet solutions and a leading provider of handheld computers, according to IDC (2001). Based on the Palm OS® platform, Palm's handheld solutions allow people to carry and access their most critical information wherever they go. Palm™ handhelds address the needs of individuals, enterprises and educational institutions by offering the foundation for thousands of application solutions. Palm stock is traded on the Nasdaq national market under the symbol PALM. More information is available at http://www.palm.com.
Palm OS is a registered trademark and Palm is a trademark of Palm, Inc. Other brands may be trademarks of their respective owners.
