Farm equipment giant John Deere is rolling out a new digital tool to help customers diagnose machine problems and reprogram software.
The Illinois-based company is launching a new Operations Center PRO service to replace its current Customer Service ADVISOR platform, which provides access to equipment manuals and connects to machines. The service capabilities will be available starting at $195 per machine annually, according to a press release.
"The launch of Operations Center PRO Service is a significant milestone that adds to John Deere’s existing tools, and it reaffirms our longstanding commitment to empowering customers to choose how they repair their equipment,” Denver Caldwell, Deere's vice president of aftermarket and customer support, said in a release.
The new system comes as Deere faces lawsuits from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and several farmers that accuse the company of unlawfully limiting farmers’ ability to repair their own equipment. In its suit, the FTC took issue with some aspects of Customer Service ADVISOR, claiming the version provided to customers featured more limited capabilities than the one available to dealers, which it alleged gave the company a monopoly over the repair service.
The new Operations Center PRO service will be available to independent mechanics along with equipment owners, so long as the mechanic has the equipment owner’s permission, according to the release. Caldwell said in the release that the new Operations Center PRO Service “reaffirms John Deere’s support of customer self-repair.”
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“Our message to our customers is clear,” Caldwell said. “Whether you want the support of your professionally trained and trusted John Deere dealer, to work with another local service provider, or to fix your machine yourself, we’ve created additional capabilities for you to choose the option that best fits your needs.”
In an email, Willie Cade, a right-to-repair advocate and Nebraska Farmers Union member, said he was disappointed by the announcement. While he said he welcomes “any step toward improving equipment owner access to repair tools,” he added the service's functions are limited and he criticized the decision to charge customers for the system.
Cade also said he was concerned that support for independent mechanics “are conditional and limited” and “mediated through Deere’s digital ecosystem — effectively extending Deere’s gatekeeping power over every repair transaction, both now and in the future."
"Instead of finally delivering true ownership rights, Deere has introduced yet another paywalled, limited‑access platform—one that charges $195 per machine per year and still withholds certain interactive tests, calibrations, and reprogramming’ at launch,” Cade wrote.
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