How the combination of hardware and software promotes more efficiency in agribusiness

The integration of products enables better use of data and avoids performance losses However, nowadays only 11% of technology companies in agribusiness of Brazil work with hardware.

Tractor in the field and a tech graphic effect

14 December 2022

According to data of Brazilian Service of Support to Micro and Small Companies (Sebrae), 76% of agtechs — technology startups to agribusiness — use the Software as a Service (SaaS) model, in other words, they offer on line solutions that operate as software. The numbers indicate a trend: With growing digitalisation of field, the use of those systems with different purposes has increased year after year.

“A software is basically a system capable of processing data and sending commands to facilitate the field routine.  With its use, it is possible to map and monitor soils, agricultural machines and plantations, in addition to manage the activities of agricultural production”, comments Bernardo de Castro, president of Hexagon’s Agriculture division, which develops digital solutions to agriculture. 

But the software are only part of innovation process in the field. Embedded sensors, actuators and computers are examples of hardware that also have a fundamental role in the digitalization of agribusiness. “Software has a greater scalability potential due to its nature and we have seen its adoption quickly advance in the agricultural environment. Nevertheless, the combination of those tools with corresponding dedicated hardware and of high performance is what will promote extensive reach of benefits to the producer”, explains Bernardo.

To follow up an increasingly demanding market, the Agriculture division of Hexagon recently launched a cutting-edge generation of displays. With powerful processors, HxGN AgrOn Ti10 guarantee the execution of complex software with superior performance, capable of processing both advanced algorithms and synchronization between machinery. “Ti10 is a hardware prepared for future technologies, which are made possible by its high-performance resources”, emphasises the president of division.

Integration enables best performance of technologies
Just like Apple united hardware and software and revolutionised the market of consumption electronics, the agribusiness companies which work with both technology fronts are also capable of being ahead in this sector. “Aggregate hardware and software from the same supplier is the best way of transforming equipment in real technological tools”, explains Bernardo de Castro.

When the products are integrated, the software can extract information from the hardware in a more efficient way, generating a better use of data and avoiding performance losses. Furthermore, there is optimization of available resources.

However, nowadays only 11% of technology companies in agribusiness of Brazil work with hardware. With the arrival of 5G, the expectation is that this number increases, considering the new opportunities that will emerge in this market. “To obtain an effectively technological and efficient field, with more productivity and economy, both software and hardware need to work together in a cyclical relationship”, reinforces Bernardo. 

The report Agricultura Digital [Digital Agriculture] 2021 by 360 Research & Reports consultancy expects growth of 183% in the use of software and hardware technologies in the segment up to 2026.