To:    USSA Officials, USSA Volunteers, USSA Resorts and Clubs, USSA Racers and Parents

Split Second’s National/FIS software is still available to everyone in the U.S. and I will continue to improve it and provide support.

Please read:

Yesterday, after a brief “courtesy call” from Calum Clark at USSA, followed by an email blast, I learned that after 25 years of working with USSA they no longer want to “allow” the use of Split Second’s National/FIS Software. USSA has entered into a multi-year agreement with Vola, a French Company, to be the “exclusive” supplier of timing software for USSA Alpine Races.

This will affect everyone; from users of the software to racers and parents hoping to see results on Live-Timing.com.

Please see the following page: http://www.SplitSecond.com/USSAApprovedSoftware.php. This page has a screen capture of USSA’s web page showing the list of approved software vendors. USSA has had a policy of approving any vendor who demonstrates they can meet the data transmission needs of USSA. Split Second has ALWAYS met those needs, and still does.

Now USSA is ignoring this policy, pushing a compliant U.S. company aside and only allowing a foreign company to be used for their races.

For an organization that fosters competition, it seems they now intend to create a monopoly.

This is the type of behavior you would expect from a multi-national company beholding to its shareholders – shipping the U.S. jobs off to China. Not what you would expect from a U.S. Governing Body, a “dot-org”, supposedly representing the needs and wishes of its members!

Yesterday morning, before hearing about this, I was working on changes to the National/FIS Software with the intention of posting a new version for the season sometime this week. The changes being made yesterday were from Thelma Hoessler (the Alpine Officials Education Chair); other requests have come from resorts and clubs that use the software, and recently even USSA staff!

This is not just Split Second’s software. This is a product of thousands of needs and suggestions from you, the users. Do you, the USSA members, want it to just go away?

For the past 15 years Split Second has had an Agreement with USSA to provide all U.S. Clubs and Resorts with the non-timing part of the software at no charge. Obviously, this is no longer happening.

I will be posting this new version as planned this week.

I will personally cover the cost to make the non-timing version available to everyone in the U.S. for free, and I will continue to provide support. All I ask is that you continue to use the software.

Calum Clark, from USSA, has since said to someone in an email “we will not refuse results scored on Split Second in the short term”. So, that means you can still use the National/FIS Software, at least for now.

This change in policy is taking away your rights to choose. I ask that you tell USSA that you will continue to exercise your rights of choice, choose the software you want to use, and not have your options dictated to you.

You may not have a lot of influence as an individual, but collectively as a group you have a voice that can’t be ignored.

If you have any questions or comments, as always, I’m available.

Thank you,

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Geoff Elder phone: 802 879 0061

Split Second Timing

p.s. This changes nothing with regards to software and support to Canada and other countries. It also changes nothing with regards to the Club software.