From: Anne Tyrrell [atyrrell@prismpublicaffairs.com]

Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2013 10:21 AM

To: Anne Tyrrell

Subject: Note from Jim Kirkland on the launch of the GPS Innovation Alliance

Follow Up Flag: Follow up

Flag Status: Flagged

Dear Fellow Members of the Coalition to Save Our GPS:

I am pleased to tell you of an exciting new development in the ongoing work to support GPS, the important technology to which we all have such a strong commitment.

As you’ll see in the below press release, being distributed today, the GPS Innovation Alliance is being launched today.

As the release states, the Alliance will serve as an organization dedicated to telling the broad story of the importance of GPS to the global economy and infrastructure, and the continuing dramatic innovations being made in this field. The Alliance will build on the excellent work of the traditional GPS advocacy and information group, the United States GPS Industry Council, founded in 1991.

We are still planning the full transition to the new Alliance structure, and we will be certain to communicate more details and information to Coalition members once that planning is completed.

In the meantime, thank you for your continued strong support of the Coalition. We are less than a month away (March 10) from celebrating the two-year anniversary of the Coalition’s launch. Working together, we have made a significant impact on the public policy issues surrounding GPS, protecting this invaluable and essential technology that has made a positive difference in the lives of so many.

Jim Kirkland

Trimble

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 13, 2013

CONTACT: Prism Public Affairs

Dale Leibach: 202-207-3630 or dleibach@prismpublicaffairs.com

Anne Tyrrell: 202-207-3632 or atyrrell@prismpublicaffairs.com

GPS Innovation Alliance Launches to Support the Ever Increasing Importance of GPS

Alliance cites importance of GPS to global economy and infrastructure; vows to aid further GPS innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship as well as protect, promote and enhance the use of GPS

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Citing the ever increasing importance of the Global Positioning System (GPS) to the global economy and infrastructure, a group of GPS advocates today announced the formation of the GPS Innovation Alliance, an organization dedicated to furthering GPS innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship.

Members of the Alliance are drawn from a wide variety of fields and businesses reliant on GPS. These include manufacturing, aviation, agriculture, construction, transportation, first responders and surveying and mapping. Still others are organizations representing consumers who depend on GPS for boating and other outdoor activities, and in their automobiles, smartphones and tablets.

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the GPS Innovation Alliance welcomes affiliates who share in the goal of protecting, promoting and further enhancing one of the world’s most important enabling technologies – technologies that improve the lives of people around the globe.

The Alliance will build on the proud heritage and extensive expertise of the United States GPS Industry Council (USGIC), which was formed in 1991 to promote broader commercial applications of GPS and to expand global markets while assisting in safeguarding the technology’s military advantages. The Council has a long history of highly effective advocacy on behalf of the GPS industry, as well as serving as a trusted source of objective information for policy makers, the media and the public both in the U.S. and around the world.

Two long-time members of the USGIC, NovAtel Inc. and Topcon Positioning Systems, join John Deere, Garmin and Trimble as founding members of the Alliance.

Affiliate members include the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM).

Following is a sampling of comments from representatives of some of the companies that are founding members of the Alliance.

Mark N. Lewellen, Spectrum Manager, John Deere:

“GPS plays a critical role in Deere’s agriculture, construction and forestry businesses in the U.S. and around the world. It helps to increase the efficiency and productivity of our customers and is an important part of Deere’s FarmSight and WorkSight strategies.  In supporting the new GPS Innovation Alliance, Deere continues its commitment to protecting, promoting and enhancing the use of GPS, both now and well into the future.”

Scott Burgett, Director, GNSS & Software Technology, Garmin International:

“GPS and its many uses and innovations are essential and ubiquitous to the lives of Americans and the American economy. Garmin is pleased to be a founding member of the GPS Innovation Alliance and help bring that message to policy makers in Washington and around the country. Garmin looks forward to working with the Innovation Alliance as we move forward together to preserve and grow this critical infrastructure.”

Jim Kirkland, Vice President and General Counsel, Trimble:

“GPS has a rich history of technological innovation. From its infancy just over 30 years ago, the GPS of today is a highly innovative, successful and increasingly ubiquitous technology that is critical to smart infrastructure, services and applications.  The Alliance is committed to ensuring constructive, robust dialog between GPS users, manufacturers and policy makers on critical policy issues affecting GPS – a commitment Trimble is pleased to be a part of as the industry continues to innovate and modernize.”

The GPS Innovation Alliance launches today with a reception on Capitol Hill. The newly launched website can be viewed at www.gpsalliance.org.

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