Gov. Gregoire ends trade mission - sees Washington tech sector leadership in action

For Immediate Release: July 11, 2012

LONDON � Wrapping up her week-long trade mission today, Gov. Chris Gregoire toured the Transport for London Surface Transport and Traffic Operations Centre, a new facility that serves as the control center for the complete surface transport infrastructure in London. This center will play a major role in controlling traffic during the Summer Olympic Games, featuring technology from Seattle-based INRIX and F5 Networks.

�These two companies are examples of why Washington state is a global leader in the technology industry,� Gregoire said. �They�ve been tasked with solving congestion and grid-lock during the world�s most highly watched events. I�m impressed with their work � and know their record of success will only help both companies expand, providing greater opportunities for those in Washington state.�

Joining Gregoire today were delegates representing Washington�s highly innovative automotive technology cluster, including Enprecis, Glympse, INRIX, RootMetrics and Red Arrow Logistics.

The delegation also attended a meeting of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, a 110-year old organization of 600 automotive industry leaders including Aston Martin, McClaren and Lotus. The delegation visited the Warwick Manufacturing Group at Warwick University on Monday to discuss future developments and possible collaborations with the industry in the UK.

Washington companies have industry-leading expertise in mobile applications that are being embedded in cars to help the manufacturer monitor the mechanical performance or assist the driver with navigation and other information. During the prestigious Telematics Detroit conference last month, Kirkland-based INRIX recently announced a multi-year deal with BMW to provide drivers with real-time traffic information and traffic-influenced turn-by-turn directions and accident alerts, while Glympse announced a new partnership that integrates real-time location sharing information into the dashboards of new vehicles from Mercedes-Benz.

�This mission with Gov. Gregoire has been an important opportunity for us to build on our knowledge and success of existing auto and mobile relationships and carry that momentum to new areas with potential London partners. We�ve met with executives and brands with which we�re excited to continue conversations�and the mission still has more to come. This trade mission helps open the doors to a more global business approach for Glympse, and has efficiently connected us to new opportunities,� said Bryan Trussel, Glympse CEO.

Gregoire and the delegation will conclude the trade mission this evening. The governor will be returning to the U.S. tomorrow.

Visit Gregoire�s online travel journal that includes travel notes from the governor and the rest of the delegation, the itinerary and photos of the trade mission. Access the travel journal by following the link on her homepage: www.governor.wa.gov.