Multi-brand telematics system now live

DataConnect, which was first announced in late 2019 as the first manufacturer-independent inter-brand telematics system, has now gone live following months of development.

Similar to the way ISOBUS enables different brands of equipment to communicate in the paddock, DataConnect is designed to connect multiple manufacturer cloud platforms, so data can securely and smoothly be exchanged between them.

John Deere Precision Ag Segment Manager, Ben Kelly, said the DataConnect system meant farmers would be able to monitor their entire machinery fleet using their preferred platform, without having to switch portals or manually transfer data from one system to another.

“DataConnect allows customers who have a mixed fleet, or are in the process of transitioning from one manufacturer to another, to have their data seamlessly connect,” he said.

Kelly said one of the greatest barriers to the adoption of digital technologies has been the incompatibility of data between different brand machines, and the landmark partnership between the key manufacturers is another step towards removing that barrier.

“By simplifying the way farmers collect data across their fleet, we are helping them compile high-quality information and insights,” he said.

“This is vital given the results gained through precision agriculture are directly linked to the quality of the data fed into the system.”

The structure of direct cloud-to-cloud technology enables a smooth flow of information without any effort or inputs from the operator. Farmers can view five key machine data sets including current and historical machine location, fuel tank level, working status and speed.

Kelly said access to these data sets will allow customers to monitor their fleet remotely and provide peace of mind.

Farmers do not require any additional hardware and software components to implement DataConnect.  Further partners and functionality are expected to be added in the future.