John Deere, Kinze, and Ag Leader announce collaboration agreement
John Deere, Kinze Manufacturing, and Ag Leader Technology have forged a collaboration agreement aimed at simplifying the integration of their respective equipment and technology solutions for farmers. This development follows John Deere’s recent legal victory in a $16.3 million lawsuit against Kinze and Ag Leader for patent infringement related to seeding technologies.
This collaboration empowers farmers to seamlessly combine equipment and digital solutions from all three manufacturers. Under the agreement, farmers utilizing Kinze and Ag Leader planting and display products will now have the option to integrate their agronomic data into the John Deere Operations Center. Moreover, the companies have resolved all ongoing litigation by arranging for John Deere to license its planting technology to Kinze and Ag Leader, ensuring continued access for their customers to True Speed and SureSpeed technologies.
Aaron Wetzel, Vice President of Production and Precision Agriculture Production Systems at John Deere, emphasizes customer-centricity in this agreement. He states, “We prioritize our customers with this agreement, facilitating smoother integration of Kinze planting solutions with John Deere equipment and our technology stack. We remain steadfast in our commitment to enhancing the productivity, profitability, and sustainability of all our customers, including those with diverse fleets.”
Susanne Veatch, President of Kinze, expresses enthusiasm for the return of True Speed to the market, highlighting the significance of data creation and collection in technologies like True Speed. She affirms that the agreement benefits joint farmer customers who utilize the John Deere Operations Center, ensuring seamless integration of data generated by any Blue Vantage-controlled equipment.
Al Myers, President of Ag Leader, echoes this sentiment, expressing excitement about the availability of SureSpeed to their customers once again. He emphasizes Ag Leader’s commitment to offering practical solutions through quality precision products suitable for mixed fleet growers. Myers emphasizes that connecting with platforms like the John Deere Operations Center through AgFiniti enables growers to map and analyze data effortlessly, irrespective of equipment color.
Additionally, John Deere and Kinze have announced plans to explore further technology collaborations, with details to be disclosed in due course.