To more accurately reflect its mission, the umbrella trade association Automation Technologies Council has changed its name to the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), the organization announced. The trade association, which comprises the Robotic Industries Association (RIA), AIA and the Motion Control Association (MCA), is an advocate for the benefits of automation. It focuses primarily on why automation is good. Within A3, RIA, AIA and MCA will continue to focus on how companies and organizations specifically can apply robots, vision and motion control. The A3 board of directors consists of industry leaders from motion control, vision and robotics companies such as Allied Vision Technologies, Genesis Systems, Motoman Robotics, Edmund Optics, ATI Automation, Phase 1 Technology, Kuka Robotics and Kollmorgen. For more information, visit: www.robotics.org, www.visiononline.org or www.motioncontrolonline.org