Press Releases February 26, 2020
7th Annual Develop with Deere Conference Focuses on Digital Connectivity
Global group of nearly 700 Deere dealers, software developers/APIs, service providers and industry pros share ideas about new digital tools for ag producers.
Crestmead, Queensland (26 February, 2020) — John Deere held its 7th annual Develop with Deere Conference on 29 January in St. Louis, USA, bringing together nearly 700 Deere dealers, software companies, ag service providers and others from 13 countries to share ideas and learn about the latest digital tools and applications in agriculture. The theme for this year's conference was connecting people, equipment, technology and insights.
Kayla Reynolds, digital business development manager for John Deere Intelligent Solutions Group (ISG), said this year's conference put more emphasis on connected software and application demonstrations than previous conferences. "We had a record 123 companies attend with more than 40 demonstrations and on-boarding sessions, which helps attending dealers, ag service providers and others see how these applications could work for their customers," Reynolds said.
Dealers and other attendees at the conference bolster their skills and knowledge by attending educational sessions and networking with their peers to better meet the demands of their tech-savvy customers who continue rapidly adopting new technology on their farms.
This year's three-day Develop with Deere Conference included new business and technical tracks on best practices with different systems, connecting with growers, Application Programming Interface (API) onboarding and support, technology for trusted advisors and other related subjects. "The most effective way we've found to stimulate new ideas is to bring connected software companies, our dealers, ag service providers and trusted advisors together and explore new ways to collaborate and share information that will hopefully result in new digital tools that help farmers farm even better," Reynolds explained.
John Deere continues to invest significant resources into its API platform, the John Deere Operations Center, in the form of new tools and applications. "These are real-world solutions that add value for our farmer customers and their operations," Reynolds said. "With more than 130 connected software tools available, our open platform enables customers or any trusted advisors they grant access to, to send job instructions directly to machines executing jobs in the field."
Ben Kelly, precision ag segment manager for John Deere (Australia/New Zealand) said the conference was instrumental in bringing people, businesses and technology together to collaborate and develop solutions that have the potential to solve real problems for farmers. "I think we all understand that data has a big role to play in the future of agriculture, and it is great to see that through a conference like Develop with Deere that we have 123 different companies under one roof workshopping, learning and working together with John Deere to help farmers get real value from their data."
Ben continued, "It's particularly promising to see a number of Australian companies such as Precision Cropping Technologies, T3rra, Agworld and others at the conference working on solutions with John Deere for our Australian farmers, and also for their customers globally."
In addition to different program tracks, the conference also brought in guest speakers and featured a Solutions Expo that provided evening networking and product demonstrations by participating connected software companies in an exposition style arrangement.
For more information and to explore software development opportunities visit Develop With Deere.
About John Deere:
Deere & Company is a global leader in the delivery of agricultural, golf & turf, construction, and forestry equipment. We help our customers push the boundaries of what's possible in ways that are more productive and sustainable to help life leap forward. Our technology-enabled products including the John Deere Autonomous 8R Tractor and See & Spray™ are just two of the ways we help meet the world's increasing need for food, shelter, and infrastructure. Deere & Company also provides financial services through John Deere Financial. For more information, visit John Deere at its worldwide website at JohnDeere.com or in New Zealand at JohnDeere.co.nz.
