[MikeDubreuil]

As Peter said, FIRST is ultimately a customer of IFI's at this point. However, they share a wonderful symbiotic relationship.

I forgot exactly when the change occurred, prior to about 2000 FIRST provided a control system in the kit that was designed and perhaps manufactured by themselves. This was done primarily by Eric Rasmussen of DEKA Research. After each robotics season you had to send the controller and radios back to FIRST to be reused the next year.

IFI grew out of a need for a company to design, manufacture and support a FIRST control system. As you can tell from the quality of their products that FIRST has benefited greatly from their involvement.