Guest post: The review was summarised by Mihály Csótó, agricultural engineer for environment management and sociologist, PhD student at the University of Debrecen. His main area of interest includes e-agriculture and green informatics. The source of original review: Mobile Applications in Agriculture http://www.syngentafoundation.org/__temp/Review_2010-11.pdf.

Farming has now been placed in a new framework: farm managers have had to increasingly devote attention to and interact with the external world as agriculture is becoming more and more information-intense. Numerous studies have showed that information and communication technologies can play a vital role in realizing benefits with more effective information management at the farm level. Smallholder farmers are usually much less productive as they could be and one of the main reasons behind this is the information-gap that hampers the adoption of available technologies and practices.
The Syngenta Foundation published a report (author: Fritz Brugger) about the use of mobile applications in agriculture especially in the developing world. The report main feature is an inventory of current mobile applications in agriculture and an assessment of the potential of mobile applications role to strengthen existing development efforts. The first half of the document gives a conceptual framework which helps to evaluate, plan and asses mobile applications.

At the beginning the report cites McNamara’s findings on the potential benefits of mobile applications:

- Increasing smallholder productivity and incomes
- Making agricultural markets more efficient and transparent
- Linking poor farmers to urban, regional and global markets
- Improving services and governance for the rural poor
- Promoting – and including smallholders in – agricultural innovation
- Helping farmers manage a range of risks
- Improving land and natural resource management and addressing environmental pressures
- Helping poor farmers participate in higher-value agriculture
- Supporting the emergence of a more diverse rural economy, and supporting rural families‘ decisions about their mix of productive activities

The report see ICT/mobile-use as an enabler not the goal itself so it has an information-centric approach, and gives a typology of information flows along the agriculture value chain. The main flows are:
- Extension services which can be mLearning(transfer of general know-how, mainly takes the form of one-way push communication) or mFarming (Systems and services based on localized contextual information).
- Market information and interaction.
- Support services and systems (Operational process management, Quality control, Logistics and business process management, Financial services).
- Data collection (to inform extension services, research, policy-making and market intelligence).

The mAgriculture initiatives have different levels of complexity. Low level complexity services are easy to create: it means one-way information that is generated automatically (e.g. price information, weather forecast). Medium complexity services are systems that include local data, so generating the content is more difficult. Two way systems that ensure feedback, advice and/or transactions are the high complexity ones and they often include smart phones and intermediaries.

To make those services work there are different sets of “viability criteria” for the end users and the value chain players. For the end users availability and accessibility (e. g. language, training, timeliness), value for money ("richness" of content) and impact (e.g. cost savings, increased effectiveness) are the three most important factors. There are many other players in the value chain (e. g. handset manufacturers, content providers, software companies, mobile carriers, funding agencies). For them, the business model, the costs (maintaining the platform, generating the content) and revenue generation are the crucial elements.

The second half of the report contains a comprehensive overview of mAgriculture service and projects, clustered by the type of service provided and this section is a pretty good resource for everyone who is involved in mAgriculture projects in developing countries.

Guest post: The author Shreeparna Roy is a knowledge seeker and has keen interest in a vast range of topics. She is passionate about writing and loves sharing information which might be helpful for the people. Education is an important part of her writing. To get more information about MBA courses and to know more about MBA online courses, she recommends visiting different educational sites.

The ever increasing popularity of MBA has now touched upon MBA online courses as well. Now more and more students and working professionals are opting for online courses to get a degree in MBA. This is mainly because the online MBA course makes it really convenient.

The popularity of MBA online courses is increasing with each passing day. These courses provide an opportunity for those students who are aspiring to take up higher studies in the management arena but are unable to take up regular courses due to various reasons. The online MBA courses are helpful as they can be pursued at the candidates’ own convenient time and also can be accessed from anywhere with access to Internet. Even working professionals can also join these programs as they can continue both their studies and job at the same time. The number of institutes which offer these online MBA course are increasing at a steady pace and at present there are many institutes across the world which provide these courses. But it is essential that the students know about every single detail related to these courses before starting with the course. Detailed information about MBA courses, which are provided online all across the globe, are given here.

Aims of online MBA courses

An online MBA course can definitely be a good substitute of a regular MBA course. The online MBA courses are gaining importance with time and are now valued even more. Each program focuses on particular areas. The aims and objectives of online MBA courses are given below:

- Details of the functional procedures of the companies are made clear to the candidates with these courses.
- Candidates are made knowledgeable about the interrelationships between the different central areas of service.
- They are given an idea about details of the central areas of service of an organization.
- Interpersonal skills of the candidates are built through these programs.

Executive MBA Courses offered online

Executive MBA courses or EMBA programs are MBA courses for working professionals and are designed in such a way so as to help them complete the course along with their jobs. The present business scenario is such that the executives who have problem solving skills along with proper theoretical knowledge are preferred over the others. The Executive MBA is one year course and can help the executives to boost up their career as they can opt for jobs in the managerial levels. Executives become more proficient with the skills and knowledge needed to make it big in the management arena. A number of institutes offer this course over the net. The institutes which give online EMBA curses are given below:

- Karnataka State Open University, India
- Avagmah Online School, India
- Rochester Institute of Technology, USA
- Imperial College London, UK
- Bradford University School of Management, UK

Specializations of the MBA course

Online MBA courses have the same specialization as that of regular MBA courses. The candidates should specialize in those subjects in which they are strong enough. To enroll in the best MBA courses, it is essential for the candidates to have a thorough knowledge about the different disciplines of MBA. Some of the specializations of online MBA are mentioned over here:

- MBA in Information Systems
- MBA in Entrepreneurship
- MBA in Human Resource
- MBA in Marketing
- MBA in Finance
- MBA in International Business
- MBA in Accounting
- MBA in International Management
- MBA in Operational Management
- MBA in Retail Management
- MBA in Information Technology
- MBA in Public Relations
- MBA in Risk Management
- MBA in Logistics
- MBA in Supply Chain Management
- MBA in Aviation
- MBA in Media
- MBA in Insurance
- MBA in Hospitality Management
- MBA in Healthcare
- MBA in Pharmaceuticals
- MBA in Rural Management
- MBA in Organizational Management

Online MBA courses offered abroad

The online MBA courses which are offered outside India are mentioned here:

- Kaplan University MBA courses
- University of North Carolina MBA courses
- Everest University MBA courses
- Southern New Hampshire University MBA courses
- Post University MBA courses

Online MBA courses offered in India

There are many online MBA course offered in different institutes across India. Some of the courses are listed below:

- Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning (SCDL) MBA courses
- Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) MBA courses
- Sikkim Manipal University (SMU) MBA courses
- Indian Institute of Commerce and Trade (IICT) MBA courses
- Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India (ICFAI) MBA courses

MBA colleges and institutes providing Online MBA course in India

There are many top MBA colleges in India which offer regular as well as online MBA programs. To assist the management aspirant in getting enrolled in one of the best MBA College or institute in India for online MBA course, here is a comprehensive list that consists of the names of some of the top institutes and colleges in India providing online MBA course. They are categorized into the popular metro cities of India:

Institutes providing online MBA courses in Mumbai
- The International College (THINC)
- Asian Management Development Center
- St. Angelo’s Professional Education
- Jaro Institute of Technology
- NIIT Imperia Center for Advanced Learning
Institutes providing online MBA courses in Kolkata
- Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)
- Sikkim Manipal University (SMU)
- Jaro Institute of Technology
- UTS
- NIIT Imperia Center for Advanced Learning
Institutes providing online MBA courses in Delhi
- Sikkim Manipal University (SMU)
- Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)
- Punjab Technical University (PTU)
- National Institute of Business Management (NIBM)
- UTS
Institutes providing online MBA courses in Bangalore
- Apex Institute of Management
- Imperial College of Business Studies
- Universal College
- Global Institute for Corporate Education (GICE)
- Symbiosis Center for Distance Learning

International MBA colleges and institutes providing Online MBA course

It has almost become a trend among the Indian students to pursue MBA course form universities outside India. The United States of America (USA) and United Kingdom (UK) are the front runners in this matter. Students generally want to pursue MBA from universities which are located in USA or UK. Some of the best universities providing online MBA courses are listed below:

Universities providing online MBA courses in USA
- George Washington University
- University of Nebraska
- Arizona State University
- University of Texas
- University of Florida
Universities providing online MBA courses in UK
- University of Northampton
- University of Exeter
- Heriot-Watt University
- University of Derby
- University of Liverpool

Demand for MBA online courses is increasing and so is the recognition. Therefore, candidates who want to get ahead in their career can opt for these online courses.

Guest post: The author Robert Williams is employee of a MNC of high repute. Here, he has Shared how build a bright career with an mba degree online. In this post also he has depicted how online distance learning programs can help the students & professionals learn better about the corporate world.

It’s been a couple of years that you have been working as an executive in an organization with dedication and perfection. So, you must be now willing to upgrade your career standards so that you can achieve a higher designation and a better pay package. Now, if you are looking forward to hold a managerial position in a reputed corporate house, a Master in Business Administration program will be your ideal choice. Well, you are certainly not required to quit your present work organization and enroll in a campus program. In fact, you can opt for a distance learning MBA program and pursue it from any corner of the world you wish.

It’s true that there are people who are not aware of the right ways and advantages of pursuing an MBA program online. Well, distance learning programs can prove advantageous for you owing to the following reasons:
- Motivating students and teaching them how to study independently.
- Written communication is encouraged thereby letting students get rid of their reticence.
- Grades are provided based on online tests, written assignments, message board interactions and even online chats.
- Latest technological equipments are utilized for delivering lessons to distance learners.
- Course materials and assignments can be downloaded online and preserved in individual email inboxes.

When it comes to enrolling in a distance learning MBA program, research work should be your priority. Remember, you will be executing the enrollment process right from your home. Therefore, it’s very important for you to ensure whether the business school or the university where you enroll is accredited. So, you can take a look at the following points which will help you know what to keep in mind while pursuing an online MBA program:

- Choose an online MBA program – As mentioned earlier, you need to research well in order to choose an online MBA program. Note the course fee, length of classes, admission requirements and instructor availability prior to enrolling in a course.
- Join social media groups – It would be brilliant if you can form a social media group and thereafter add all your classmates of your college. Once done, you can talk to the students and enquire about the classes, and also know whether the teachers are cooperative or not.
- Start slow – It would be wise of you to attend one class at a time just after the course kicks off. Instead of hurrying, if you can take a little bit of time to check whether you can handle the program, it will be easier for you to cope up with your program. Later, you can attend extra classes and match up with the pace of your course.
- Chalk out a homework schedule – Since you are required to handle both your work and course program, you must chalk out a proper schedule. Remember, you need to cover your lessons and also complete your assignments. So, chalking out a homework schedule is very important.
- Interact with your instructors – Constant interaction with teachers will keep you updated with your course program. Whenever you are stuck with a query related to your distance learning MBA program, you can always get in touch with your instructor online and get all your solutions. Moreover, dedication and hard work will certainly help you come out with flying colors.

Guest post: The author Robert Williams is employee of a MNC of high repute. In this blog, she has depicted how training through e-learning can help the students learn better about the corporate world. In this content, she has shared her knowledge on the benefits of E-learning or online distance learning classes for professionals.

Nowadays running corporate houses has become a really tough job and to properly administer it one needs proper professional training. Yes, it is necessary in today's world to get a professional qualification to be a part of this booming corporate business industry. To make yourselves successful in this field you need to create a strong knowledge base about the working of this industry. Well that's where corporate training comes to use and is the exact requirement which helps you to understand the basics of this sector.

Corporate world is a different world altogether. Innovation is the King here. Here, one must stay prepared all the time because rival competitors can threaten the sheer existence of the company in the market at any point of time. The most important thing that you would need here is knowledge and ability to put it into action through business plans so that your organization keeps on being profitable in the long run. However, the business strategies here, continue to change with time and so does the course structure of professional courses.

To reach the edge of success in this sector, you need to keep yourselves updated about the recent happenings and the latest techniques that would ensure your progression in this field of work. Therefore, having corporate training is a must for anyone who wants to excel in this industry. But, it is not possible for one and all to give up their present work and study a full time corporate training course. This is where E-learning comes handy. It gives more freedom to an individual to learn as per his/her own timings. And the latest course designs makes the learning more effective.

Now why should one choose E-learning?

E-learning helps you operate everything in real time

It helps you get the best time management facilities. Here you get everything right on time. Yes, whenever you want to utilize your time for your training purpose, you get that privilege with e-learning. It is an interactive course where trainer personally teaches persons and is also available for clearing their doubts.

E-learning is dynamic

The course is designed such a way that one is more engrossed in the course and is automatically attracted to it. This mode of receiving education also helps you become a quick learner. You get to know all what you want with no time. Therefore, you also tend to become dynamic in nature.

E-learning is empowering

As E-learners you get the chance to have a control upon how fast you learn, where to learn, what you need to learn and how much to learn. It helps you to be empowered by gaining good knowledge, abilities and skills. It keeps you in complete control of your learning.

E-learning is comprehensive

Through E-learning you get to be a part of different learning events from multiple resources that cover almost all imaginable topics. It helps the students learn in a better way and that also from any comfortable location according to their own choice.

E- Learning is quick

E-learning is a customized course that is designed such that an individual can grip the course as easily as possible. These courses are made as much interactive as possible. The courses include videos, case studies and discussions covering latest topics in the corporate world. Thus by enrolling in this course, you get an access to the path towards success in this Corporate world.

Therefore, corporate training through E-learning helps you know all that is required to thrive in this modern corporate world.

Guest post: the author Robert Williams is a blogger and writes blogs on the effect of technology on the life of human beings. By reading this content, you will know how going for online university courses is becoming easier and how technologies help you learn better.

People often give E-learning a tag of "new" or "modern", but do you know how old the concept is? Well, it was late 1840s, when the concept of distance courses came up, where a teacher named Issac Pitman used to send assignments to his students by mail and the students used to send it back after finishing their homework. However, the improvements in the field of technology have changed the appearance of education. The origin is still internet but the medium of connecting the internet or the way to use the internet to learn better have changed its forms.

"E" Learning is getting replaced by “M” Learning

Yes, earlier it was E- learning, where the “E” used to stand for electronic devices. Now, it is known as M- learning, where the “M” stands for mobile learning. Well, the mobile after years of evolution has changed itself from a simple talking device to a gaming device, a surfing tool, a music player, a video player and many more. This in return, helps students download eBooks and study wherever and whenever they want. Therefore, it is promoting the concept of “fun and read” and the students are taking much more interest towards their studies.

Google- becoming the game turner

After the years of improvements, internet is not the same. Now, internet is not being used to send and receive emails, rather it has come up as a place to stay connected to the world 24-hours-a-day, get all the updates, news, and get all the information you want.

Yes, Google has played the major role to change the existence of internet. When it comes to education, students need thousands of answers- Where to study, with which subject to study, which books to use, how to study, etc. In such circumstances, Google turns out to be the one stop solution that helps the students get all the details they want that also just by sitting at their own place.

Google AdWords: Students get genuine information directly from the university or the institution through ads that also with the help of Google AdWords.

Google Plus: Students can connect each other through Google Plus to keep a watch over the matter of latest posts and the ongoing trends.

Google Groups: Students can become a part of the groups of Google, where education remains the main concept. It helps them collect genuine details.
Google Book Search: Students get their online library through Google book search, which help them read better.

Google Maps: Students get all the information about the places, where the institutions are located or how to reach there at best.

Google Docs: Students while attending online university classes, get to use this provision at best. It helps them submit their projects in an easier way.
Well, there are people who still not aware of all these facilities. Being deprived of this advancement, even they are lagging behind. Well, you must not be the one who do not know how to use these advance technologies for your benefit. Therefore, hold its hands to move forward in life, because it helps you stay ahead than others.