[Technology Corner] What an OEM Partnership Means to an Autonomy Startup

The announcement of a partnership between New Holland and Bluewhite was one of the big precision stories of the summer. West Coast New Holland dealers now have the rights to sell, distribute and service Bluewhite’s aftermarket autonomy kits.

I recently had the chance to catch up with Alon Ascher, Bluewhite chief business officer, and ask him about significance of partnership with a major OEM.  

“We did start working (at first, before the partnership) individually with a couple of dealers on the West Coast — John Deere and New Holland — but collaborating and partnering with the OEM gives us a bigger opportunity for better integration of the product. That means better performance, faster deployment time at more completive costs. We’re also collaborating and working closely with the dealers and New Holland folks to assist on training, and using lessons learned from other products on how to bring this digital and autonomous revolution to agriculture. This is very new for everyone, so it’s better to collaborate and we’re happy with this partnership. They have an amazing team at their headquarters and working in the fields that’s looking at how to bring these amazing technologies to every grower, starting with the West Coast but then looking at a broader scale.” 

New Holland and Bluewhite are also exploring future posisbilities for factory-installed solutions. Check out the Farm Innovations YouTube channel for more information on the Bluewhite autonomy kit.