AgGateway is celebrating its 10-year anniversary by launching several new programs at its Annual Conference November 9-12 in San Antonio, TX, that highlight innovations in agricultural eBusiness – or “eAgriculture.”

As part of the new programs, the organization is adopting the term “eAgriculture” to signify the growing breadth of electronic connectivity in the ag industry. The programs include a new logo that members can use to identify their use of AgGateway resources, an Innovation Showcase that each year will feature new applications in eAgriculture, and “AgGateway in Action” awards to recognize recent contributions of AgGateway member volunteers and companies in advancing efforts in eAgriculture. The conference will also highlight the new ability of all companies to access standard identifiers for electronic transactions, as well as other resources helping with eBusiness implementation.

“We invite any and all ag companies interested in eBusiness to attend the conference to learn more about how AgGateway members in various areas are working together to improve the way agriculture works – from precision agriculture and auto identification data capture, to standardized reporting in ag retail and commodity transport,” said AgGateway President and CEO Wendy Smith. “The conference is our springboard for several new initiatives – including our use of the new term ‘eAgriculture’ to signify that these efforts move beyond back-office, accounting functions associated with the term ‘eBusiness’ to every aspect of agriculture – from manufacturer and ag retailer to the field and beyond.”

New initiatives that will be launched at the conference include:

The “Enabled by” Logo

A brand that AgGateway’s Allied Providers Council developed that members can apply for and place on their products and services that use AgGateway resources. Members expressed a need to demonstrate their commitment to the use of AgGateway open standards that can be used freely – and internationally – for seamless electronic connections, as a way to communicate to customers and business trading partners their commitment to eBusiness in agriculture.

eAgriculture Innovation Showcase

Designed to highlight technology innovations that further the AgGateway mission to promote, enable and expand eBusiness in agriculture. Each year, qualifying applicants will present their innovations to the industry at the AgGateway Annual Conference. This year three companies will give brief presentations during the opening general session on new applications that use standard identifiers.

AgGateway in Action Awards

A new program to recognize some of the hardest-working volunteers in the organization – plus one company identified by the AgGateway board – who have made recent, tangible results in the mission to promote, enable and expand eBusiness in agriculture. The existing Ron Storms Leadership Award will also be presented at the conference to an outstanding leader who has provided long-term contributions.

Open Access to Standard Identifiers

New enhancements to the Ag Industry Identification System (AGIIS) allow anyone in the industry to have automated web access to the standard identifiers used in electronic business transactions. Limited searches are free; fees accrue once a user exceeds a certain number or level of searches, while manual, web-based look-ups are free and open to all. This enhancement is designed to bring the ag industry closer to having globally applicable standard identifiers, which will greatly increase data quality and provide more efficiency for all trading partners. Most other major industries have already achieved this uniformity that is the basis for electronic transactions.

AgGateway’s 10th Annual Conference, “Business Agility – The Power of Collaboration and eConnectivity”, Nov. 9-12 in San Antonio, TX, will draw hundreds of business and IT professionals from across the ag industry to discuss ongoing activities in implementing eBusiness between agricultural trading partners.