Mi-Co, a developer of solutions for mobile data and digital handwriting, is now part of the fight against Mad Cow Disease.

“Usually a company doesn’t want to be linked with Mad Cow Disease, but in this case Mi-Co and Mad Cow is all about the monitoring and minimizing the impacts of this threat to our food chain,” Barrett Joyner, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Mi-Co, tells Local Tech Wire.

The US Department of Agriculture is using mobile data capture software and Mi-Forms digital software from Mi-Co to assist in gathering data about livestock in the field.

The formal name for mad cow disease is Bovin espongiform encephalopathy or BSE.

According to the Department of Agriculture and Mi-Co, the livestock data program has four major goals:

  • Gather more information in a mobile setting that would aid in
    monitoring the disease

  • Reduce the time required to get that data in useable form for
    analysis

  • Ensure the highest quality of data

  • Provide a data capture process that was efficient and would be embraced by the individuals that needed to conduct the work

    • “Working with the USDA has been a rewarding experience because of the importance of this work to all of us,” said Carolee Nail, vice president of operations at Mi-Co, in a statement. “The USDA was looking for ways to increase the quality of the data that was collected and after using the Mi-Forms system on 25 Tablet PCs and doing a thorough evaluation, they are ready to roll out 100 more.”

    To learn more about Mad Cow Disease, see: www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/bse.html and
    www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/issues/bse/bse.html

    Mi-Co: www.mi-corporation.com