John Deere has announced that along with CLAAS, CNH Industrial, and 365FarmNet, it is forming the DataConnect interface. It will be the first direct, cloud-to-cloud machine data solution for the North American agricultural industry.
As a result of DataConnect, farmers and contractors operating fleets of machinery from various brands will be able to view data through a single interface. They will also have the option to control and monitor their fleet using their preferred telematics system. DataConnect allows for the secure viewing and handling of basic machine data elements. Customers operating Deere, CLAAS, New Holland, Case IH or Steyr brand farm equipment can easily access and view machine data elements, such as current fuel tank level, working status, and forward speed.
Furthermore, customers can utilize the portal of their choice, ranging from AFS Connect to the John Deere Operations Center. This gives them complete control and familiarity as they run their fleet. No additional hardware or software components are required to view multiple machines in a single portal.
In addition, the four companies involved are members and supporters of the Agricultural Industry Electronics Foundation. This means that they will share their experiences with the organization to support a standardized data interface architecture across the entire agricultural equipment industry.
Equipment manufacturers, software providers, and associations and standardizations committees are being encouraged to help develop and participate in the interface. DataConnect will roll out later in 2020.