Garmin® Introduces Quickdraw Community, an Online Community of Free User-Generated Map Data

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OLATHE, Kan./July 12, 2016/Business Wire – Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ:GRMN), today announced Quickdraw Community, a free online user-generated platform where users can share and browse HD mapping content, and download the data free of charge to enhance and supplement existing Garmin mapping options. The Quickdraw Community builds on the success of the company’s Quickdraw Contours software feature – a free, easy-to-use tool that lets mariners instantly create personalized HD maps with 1-foot contours on any body of water – allowing users to easily and quickly share and upload the best data available.
“Garmin customers have been collecting Quickdraw Contours mapping and depth data on their devices since the free software feature became available earlier this year, and now they have a way to easily share that data with others,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin vice president of worldwide sales. “Not only is Quickdraw (Contours and Community) free and easy to use, but thanks to Garmin Panoptix™ all-seeing sonar technology, it’s the only map sharing platform to use multi-beam sonar recordings for high quality, accurate and complete HD contours.”
Creating Quickdraw Contours data is powerfully simple. Once it’s turned on, users will instantly see contours with labels generated right on the screen as the boat moves – unlike competitor products, there’s no waiting around or sending the files in for remote processing, nor is there a fee to keep the data private or to share it with others. The results are instant and accurate, and can be viewed in real-time, or created in the background for use at a later time. For the most comprehensive coverage, Quickdraw Contours clearly shows where usable depth information has been collected and where gaps exist, so users can easily see what still needs to be collected.
The collected data can be stored on any off-the-shelf SD or microSDTM card, as well as existing Garmin BlueChart® g2, BlueChart g2 Vision® and LakeVü HD Ultra cards. To upload, download or browse collected Quickdraw Contours data, users will need to create an account through Garmin Connect, a free online community already utilized by millions of Garmin customers who use the platform to share, track, and analyze data from other Garmin devices.
Data can be uploaded through a “Marine Profile” in Garmin Connect, and once uploaded, will typically be available on the web for download within 24 hours. With the intuitive map interface, users can easily locate and see the data shared by other users within the community overlaid on the applicable body of water. Available user-generated data can be easily downloaded from Garmin Connect to a microSD/SD card for use with a compatible Garmin chartplotter, and can be viewed simultaneously with a user’s personal Quickdraw Contour data on a chartplotter.
The Garmin Quickdraw Community on Garmin Connect is available now at garminconnect.com/quickdraw. Quickdraw Contours comes standard on all echoMAP® CHIRP products, and is available as a free software update for all other echoMAP and many GPSMAP® series products. It can be used with any depth transducer, including Garmin Panoptix, HD-IDTM, DownVü, and NMEA 2000 transducers. To learn more, visit garmin.com/marine2016.
Recently, Garmin was named Manufacturer of the Year and received the honor of being the most recognized company in the marine electronics field by the National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA). Garmin’s portfolio includes some of the industry’s most sophisticated chartplotters and touchscreen multifunction displays, sonar technology, high-definition radar, autopilots, high-resolution mapping, sailing instrumentation and other products and services that are known for innovation, reliability, and ease-of-use.
For decades, Garmin has pioneered new GPS navigation and wireless devices and applications that are designed for people who live an active lifestyle. Garmin serves five primary business units, including automotive, aviation, fitness, marine, and outdoor recreation. For more information, visit Garmin’s virtual pressroom at garmin.com/newsroom, contact the Media Relations department at 913-397-8200, or follow us at facebook.com/garmin, twitter.com/garmin, or youtube.com/garmin.
About Garmin International Inc. Garmin International Inc. is a subsidiary of Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN). Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in Switzerland, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. Garmin, echoMAP and GPSMAP are registered trademarks and Garmin Connect, Panoptix and HD-ID are trademarks of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries.
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This release includes forward-looking statements regarding Garmin Ltd. and its business. Such statements are based on management’s current expectations. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release may not occur and actual results could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting Garmin, including, but not limited to, the risk factors listed in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 26, 2015, filed by Garmin with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission file number 0-31983). A copy of such Form 10-K is available at http://www.garmin.com/aboutGarmin/invRelations/finReports.html. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and Garmin undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.