John Deere to join SATCOM

Deere & Company has issued a satellite communications (SATCOM)-focused request for proposals to secure a solution that will further connect its fleet of intelligent machines. This will enhance the satellite connectivity that Deere is already delivering to its customers today, and is a critical step in the company’s commitment to creating value for farmers around the world.

“We believe SATCOM will unlock significant opportunities in agriculture by enabling farmers to take advantage of innovative technologies that rely on real-time information and communication,” said Lane Arthur, VP of Data, Applications and Analytics at John Deere. “For example, autonomous tractors benefit from real-time communication through the John Deere Operations Center, as farmers use the app to start and stop the machine, monitor the job it’s executing, and determine what it should do when it encounters an obstacle.”

During the initial phase, Deere is seeking a strategic partnership with a vendor or set of vendors to connect both new machines and retrofitted machines through satellite service and ruggedized satellite terminals. This is expected to enable Deere’s customers to be more productive and efficient, and increase food and fuel production for their communities and the world’s growing population.

As SATCOM plays an increasingly critical role in deploying new innovative technologies, vendors have the opportunity to benefit from the financial and experiential advantages of collaborating with Deere by being at the forefront of this connectivity effort and obtaining key learnings to apply to future projects and use cases.