I don't know about you, but I take a lot of pride knowing that right down the street there are engineers and technical people who are helping farmers feed the world more efficiently. Less than 6 miles  from where I sit right now are some of the finest engineers in the world who are not only 'making things,' but are making what they already have better.

Since I have friends and family members who are involved with farming this caught my attention today on the Raven Industries web-site.

Raven Industries Enhances Steering and Slingshot® Product Lines

Sioux Falls, SD, February 6, 2013 – Raven Industries (Nasdaq:RAVN) has announced enhancements to their SmarTrax™ and Slingshot® product lines. “Raven is committed to driving innovation in precision agriculture in order to help our industry solve the problem of finding ways to feed a rapidly growing world population.  These new enhancements are really based on customer feedback, and we are excited about how these new innovations will help our customers in the global marketplace we serve,” said Matt Burkhart, vice president and general manager for Raven Industries Applied Technology Division.

SmarTrax MD

SmarTrax MD

SmarTrax MD is a new simple-to-install mechanical drive steering system that allows growers throughout Raven’s global markets to seamlessly transfer the ability to steer automatically across their fleet of vehicles, including multiple tractors, combines, windrowers and more. Customers will also benefit from the added torque for faster operating speeds, increase accuracy, and reduced noise.  SmarTrax MD is ISOBUS compatible providing even more convenience for customers with a compatible virtual terminal already in the cab.

Slingshot Enhancements

Slingshot Online 2.0 will offer a more streamlined user experience through several enhancements to help simplify the way customers manage and share their data.   These include various improvements to the Slingshot Portal, the API platform, and RTK streaming solutions; plus a Wi-Fi enabled version of the Slingshot Field Hub, which will be compatible with major cell carriers throughout global markets.  The Wi-Fi Field Hub will create a hot spot, allowing up to five devices to connect at one time, and are a great fit for customers needing to utilize wireless internet on their laptop or mobile device in the field.

These product enhancements will be available this spring and summer of 2013. For additional information, please contact your local Raven or Slingshot dealer for more information.

 

While I'm on the air, I get calls from farmers all over who are multi-tasking.  Yes, they are farming, but they can also be checking up to the minute market information, checking Twitter, Facebook and other news and social media sites.

 

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