‘Make It Simpler’: How Hemisphere’s Bringing Machine Control to Owner-Operators

One of the storylines this year from the floor of CONEXPO CON/AGG 2026 was the recent integration of Hemisphere GNSS systems into the Case product lineup.

One of Case’s major audiences is owner-operators, people who may have less experience or comfort with machine control technology. Randy Noland, Director of Global Sales at Hemisphere GNSS, says they’ve focused on making machine control accessible for this audience.

“What we've done by design from the beginning, iteration after iteration, is design simplicity into the entire solution,” Noland told Equipment World’s Bryan Furnace. “And that's from installation to calibration to the operator use. Over and over and over, we try to find shorter steps and easier ways to make that barrier of entry lower for those customers.”

Noland says that the open nature of Hemisphere’s systems and easy installation sets them apart from other providers in the field.

“We’re just trying to lower the cost, lower the barrier of entry, [and] make it simpler,” Noland says.

To learn more about how they’re doing that, check out Furnace’s full interviews with Noland and Miles Ware, Director of Marketing & Global Customer Care at Hemisphere GNSS, above.

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Transcript

00;00;01;11 - 00;00;24;03

Bryan Furnace

What's going on, everyone? Con Expo 2026, day two. We are here in the case booth and these guys have a ton of stuff going on. We are going to step in their awesome tech room and talk to Myles where and Randy Nolan about the recent integration of hemisphere products into the case lineup. Let's go check it out. So Randy, tell us a bit about your 2D and 3D.

 00;00;24;03 - 00;00;38;26

Randy Noland

Offerings at hemisphere. We offer a full 2D and 3D system. I think one of the things that sets us apart is the fact that you can go in 2D, and then we can simply scale up to full 3D without replacing any hardware incurring those costs.

 00;00;39;00 - 00;00;58;06

Bryan Furnace

So traditionally, case is known for working with a lot of owner operators, a lot of these smaller customers that don't have a lot of experience with machine control and machine control can be a very daunting conversation. You start talking to 2D, 3D jeans. There's all these terms that no one knows anything about. But what does it really look like to get into machine control as a small contractor?

 00;00;58;07 - 00;01;20;15

Randy Noland

It's not a set it and forget it thing. You do have to commit and want to learn the system and realize that productivity benefit, right? But what we've done by design from the beginning, iteration after iteration, is design simplicity into the entire solution. And that's from installation to calibration to the operator use. Everything is over and over and over.

 00;01;20;16 - 00;01;27;17

Randy Noland

We try to find shorter steps and easier ways to make that barrier of entry lower for those customers.

 00;01;27;20 - 00;01;45;07

Bryan Furnace

So for a lot of owner operators, I would argue 2D is a really great way to get your feet wet. It doesn't require a lot of the extra stuff that 3D does, but you have these contractors that once they do get their feet wet, they get comfortable with it. They may start getting into a situation where they start dealing with civil engineering plans and drawings.

 00;01;45;09 - 00;01;52;19

Bryan Furnace

They need that 3D application. But what's it going to look like for me to go from my 2D setup up to a 3D? Am I going to purchase a bunch of components?

 00;01;52;19 - 00;02;13;14

Randy Noland

Depends on where you're at in your 2D solution. So we have a 2D base kit. You can add a laser sensor and you can also add a compass. And if you're at that level or any of those levels, you simply unlock the arc inside of the compass and unlock the 3D software already installed. And so there's a calibration.

 00;02;13;14 - 00;02;28;16

Randy Noland

If the calibration hasn't been done for 3D, that needs to be done, but once that's done, you're up and running on 3D. And we make it simpler by having open file formats. You know, we're not blocking and tackling. We're wanting users to have the best experience possible.

 00;02;28;19 - 00;02;36;04

Bryan Furnace

In other words, though, I am not losing out on an investment that I've made in the 2D system, by going to 3D, we're able to just go from one to the next.

 00;02;36;05 - 00;02;54;04

Randy Noland

What you are, there's a there's about there's about a $3,000 savings if you buy it all at once. Sure. Other than stepping up. But you're not throwing any hardware away. Any software away. And we also offer free firmware upgrades and free software upgrades once somebody has bought into the solution.

 00;02;54;06 - 00;03;00;25

Bryan Furnace

So I guess my final question for you is HemisFair. Specifically, what are some of the things that set you guys apart and make it simple.

 00;03;00;28 - 00;03;20;06

Randy Noland

The installation, the calibration, and just the everyday use of the operation, the fact that our files are open, that the dealer can take a hemisphere system and put it on any machine, mixed fleet or otherwise, it's perfect. You know, again, we're just trying to lower the cost, lower the barrier of entry, make it simpler.

 00;03;20;09 - 00;03;21;20

Bryan Furnace

Perfect. Randi, thank you so much.

 00;03;21;21 - 00;03;24;10

Randy Noland

Sure thing. Thank you.

 00;03;24;13 - 00;03;32;29

Bryan Furnace

All right. I am here with Myles. So we've kind of talked about some of the solutions at a very high level. I want to get into the nitty gritty. What are some of the solutions you guys are offering. What kind of machines are you integrating with.

 00;03;33;03 - 00;03;53;11

Miles Ware

So a lot of the things that we're working towards is you've seen really big push on integrating positioning technology into the case ion, and then making it available not only to new customers on machinery, but also through aftermarket channels, where if you've got your machinery, whether it be case machines or other brands where we want to give a big of an audience as possible a path to get to the tech.

 00;03;53;11 - 00;04;04;21

Miles Ware

So there's a huge focus right now on our 2D and 3D excavator solutions. So we've got multiple machines where we've got our 2D solutions that offer 2D positioning with options to upgrade and add, say, a laser receiver.

 00;04;04;21 - 00;04;11;04

Bryan Furnace

And Randy talk. There's it's a $3,000 upgrade cost that's really not that big of a stepping stone for the capabilities you get with 3D.

 00;04;11;05 - 00;04;35;14

Miles Ware

Exactly. And that's core to our mission is because we want to make the pathways to this technology extremely accessible, extremely attractive, because we recognize that there's a huge audience that wants it, needs it, and we understand that, especially for our case, customers and all of our customers, that if we can provide them pathways to get the work done faster, more efficiently, one more job, one more project, the impact of them is huge.

 00;04;35;14 - 00;05;00;03

Miles Ware

So absolutely, it's all and it's all very intentional from the way we've built the kits, the way we've built the software, the ease of use, the availability through multiple channels. Because now we're providing pathways for these solutions through the hemisphere dealer network, through the KC dealer network. We're really trying to be very intentional about their multiple pathways to get access and get in this game, and reap those benefits.

 00;05;00;03 - 00;05;00;13

Miles Ware

Yeah.

 00;05;00;18 - 00;05;04;20

Bryan Furnace

So you mentioned the excavator solution. Do you guys offer a CTL solution as well?

 00;05;04;21 - 00;05;21;15

Miles Ware

We do have currently in line and we do have a master CTL solution. We've got some other improvements for CTL solutions in the near future through Case and other brands. So we do have some options. But we do recognize it is a very attractive platform that we are definitely pursuing, just like other platforms like wheel loaders, motor graders, dozers as well.

 00;05;21;15 - 00;05;24;18

Bryan Furnace

So so if people want more information, where should they go to look out.

 00;05;24;25 - 00;05;41;15

Miles Ware

For more information? They can actually log on through hemispheres of site. Great metrics.com. We have all of our solutions there. And then there's also lots of information for especially for the case audience where if you have a connection with a KC dealer and they have lots of information, especially on the excavator solutions to 2D and 3D excavator solutions.

 00;05;41;15 - 00;05;43;08

Bryan Furnace

Perfect. Miles, thank you so much. Thank you.

 00;05;43;08 - 00;05;43;27

Miles Ware

Brother. Appreciate you.