IFA Launches World’s First ‘Farm-proof’ Smartphone
The Irish Farmers’ Association and Vodafone Ireland have launched the world’s first farm-proof smartphone for the farming community. The dust-proof, scratch resistant and water resistant handset from Motorola is built to withstand the elements associated with a day’s work on the farm and has a longer battery life than other smartphones on the market.
The Motorola Defy is the latest addition to a range of technology offerings from IFA Member Services and is available for free to IFA members.
Speaking about the launch, IFA’s Director of Organisation James Kelly said; “IFA and Vodafone have been working with farmers in getting feedback on what they want from a smartphone and mobile technology. Farmers are becomingly increasingly reliant on the
smartphone for email, internet and apps. The Motorola is robust enough to survive in a dusty or damp pocket, can take an occasional fall to the ground and has a battery that can last a full day in the field.”
The launch of the Motorola coincides with the recent release of the IFA Member Services smartphone app ‘iFarm’. iFarm now boasts almost 5,000 downloads, proving that smartphones are an increasingly important part of farmers day-to-day business. The app, which works on all smartphones including iPhone and Android, provides market prices and commentary; real-time weather updates and farm calculators among other decision support tools.
Speaking about the launch, Anne O’Leary, business and enterprise director with Vodafone Ireland said, “Irish businesses, including farming businesses, are increasingly using smartphones to manage the day-to-day tasks. We have been working closely with the Irish Farmers’ Association for a number of years to assist its members in finding the right technologies and communications solutions to meet their needs, like the Motorola Defy Mini. The robust device coupled with the service quality of the Vodafone network will provide members with great access while working outdoors.”
The farm-proof handset is now available from IFA Member Services for free on most packages on 1890 924 852. The ‘iFarm’ app can be downloaded by texting your name plus ‘iFarm’ to 51000 for the price of a standard text.