AEF to launch Agricultural Interoperability Network during Agritechnica

(Illustration: AEF)

The Agricultural Industry Electronics Foundation (AEF), a global non-profit organization founded to improve cross-manufacturer compatibility in agricultural equipment, is introducing its Agricultural Interoperability Network (AgIN) at Agritechnica 2025 in Hanover, Germany, November 9 to 15.

AgIN is a new standardized gateway that connects equipment manufacturers, data hubs, Farm Management Information Systems (FMIS), and service solutions to enable trusted-manufacturer independent and brand-agnostic data sharing.

While ag-platform providers achieve data exchange through individual connections, not all platforms are interconnected. This creates gaps in data integration and limits operational efficiency.

Norbert Schlingmann (Photo: AEF)

“AgIN ends a common frustration: sharing data easily while using your preferred software platforms to manage ag operations,” said Norbert Schlingmann, general manager, AEF. “Farmers, contractors and farm service providers worldwide will finally be empowered with data control while ensuring compliance within their own local regulations.”

Software platform

To date, there are numerous proprietary agricultural software platforms and cloud solutions available to manage farm data, financial data, legislative and governmental data. However, sharing data between providers and platforms can be challenging with respect to compatibility, interoperability, data errors and loss, and even data security.

“Lack of compatibility and interoperability can push farmers to choose a software platform that’s not their first choice, not ideal for their operation, nor appropriate for the national data structure of legislative requirements,” said Slawi Stesny, senior product manager, AGCO and AgIN team lead, AEF.

“The new AgIN solution leverages existing standards and data formats enabling farmers and contractors to choose and stick to their preferred software solutions by facilitating flawless and

trusted sharing of agricultural data between equipment manufacturers, data hubs, FMIS solutions and service providers,” he said.

The AgIN data space

AEF and its AgIN member companies ensure data compatibility, safety and security and automatic updates of the connections between the various providers and platforms. The AgIN dataspace is funded by the companies and institutions who take part in the initiative, and who implement the associated AEF common connector software.

AgIN requires no additional account or log in, no additional action, no extra license fees and no software update management. There’s no longer compatibility, currency or even language barriers or issues, as AgIN runs quietly in the background, so data exchange simply works. Obligatory AEF conformance tests ensure compatibility and data safety.

Key use cases involve cloud-to-cloud exchange and sharing of machine data, work orders including prescription maps and work records including as applied information.

“AgIN does not affect, nor influence the way farmers manage data communication and data exchange between the FMIS and an in-cab ISObus terminal, for example,” said Stesny. “It also does not affect the import or export of data from and to data hubs and value chain partners. AgIN only connects the respective software platforms and cloud solutions in a secure, trusted and scalable way.”

Introduction timeframe

Under development for two years, the AEF has already been awarded with the AE50 award from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) in 2024 for AgIN.

The new interoperable network is expected to become operational next year, with a staged release planned for March, and the production release in September, 2026.

The AEF will demonstrate AgIN for the first time at this year’s Agritechnica trade show in Hall 21, Booth C26. Farmers, contractors, farm service providers, machinery manufacturers and software providers can experience first-hand what AgIN is, how it works, and how it can be of benefit to every company involved in agricultural data sharing and interoperability.