EY is extending their alliance with Microsoft, as announced on October 19th at Chicago Ideas Week, bringing together digital solutions and cloud technology to better execute the agricultural industry’s transformation strategies. By combining EY’s technology consultation and agribusiness experience with Microsoft’s Azure platform and digital tool suites, Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence will be used to help improve efficiency in the use of data in the industry. More business opportunities are expected to arise from this initiative.
“The entire food value chain is challenged with feeding the world in ways that are safe, transparent, and sustainable,” said EY Global Agribusiness Leader, Rob Dongoski. “The EY-Microsoft Agribusiness initiative will play a significant role in helping to deliver the solutions the industry needs to provide for a growing population, whether that is through connected field services or other digital solutions.”
A range of applications will help the industry that includes digitizing analysis and monitoring aggregated crop data that with the use of artificial intelligence and analytics will lead to increases productivity. Domestic farmers are seen to gain a competitive advantage in machinery operation, the supply chain, and crop production.
In addition to the announcement, Microsoft demonstrated several proof-of-concept technologies at the Ideas Week that included connectivity capabilities, Microsoft Azure Machine Learning, drones, and sensors.
