The world’s largest maker of agricultural equipment is encouraging software developers to use John Deere’s application programming interfaces to create software that can access the data generated by John Deere’s connected machines. The company has created a cloud-based operations center to analyze data harvested from hundreds of thousands of connected tractors and other farm equipment.
John Deere uses cellular networks to move data from the fields to the cloud. Data is encrypted at the device level and also within the network. Although location and performance data for a single tractor might not seem particularly sensitive or valuable, the aggregated data could be very valuable and could be dangerous in the wrong hands.
Sensors built into the equipment made by John Deere track soil moisture, equipment performance, and even the pressure with which seeds are pushed into the ground during planting. Wi-Fi or low-power wide area networks can be used to collect data and send it to a gateway that connects to the cellular network.
Tractors connect directly to John Deere’s cloud using cellular modems. The giant machines report on their location, what activity they are performing, and whether they need service. Farmers can see this data through John Deere’s iPad application.
Telematics specialist Telogis, which was purchased last year by Verizon, is partnering with John Deere to enable the two companies’ mutual customer to leverage the date reported by connected farm equipment. Telogis is supporting Deere’s telematics system, which is designed to remotely connect owners and managers to their equipment, and give them a quick way to order supplies and parts online.
“Equipment – not just vehicles – represent an enormous investment for mobile businesses, and it’s more important than ever to ensure that equipment is running safely, and that it’s out there earning money and delivering value and ROI every day,” said Jeff Cohen, VP, asset and security Solutions at Telogis. “By understanding how the equipment is being used, how many hours it’s running and where there are opportunities to maximize uptime and utilization, customers can identify opportunities to drive cost and time savings, plus productivity and efficiency in every aspect of their mobile businesses.”
