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Membership
ITI member companies value our work in government relations, global standards, international trade, and technology regulations. ITI helps member companies achieve their policy objectives through building relationships with Members of Congress, Administration officials, and foreign governments; organizing industry-wide consensus on policy issues; and working to enact tech-friendly government policies.
ITI brings together the voices of industry behind broad pro-technology objectives, while also providing direct lobbying support for individual company issues. For more information about joining ITI, contact Rhett Dawson at 202-626-5757.
Member Benefits
Through our public policy programs and committees, the ITI team provides thought leadership to our member companies, while educating and engaging policymakers, opinion leaders, and the media about issues and policies that impact the IT industry.
Government relations program
ITI’s Government Relations Program is widely regarded as
the leading high tech lobbying operation in Washington. Ralph Hellmann, senior
vice president of Government Relations, and his team educate Members of Congress
and the Administration about the digital world and garner support for key high
tech priorities.
Government Relations Committee: In conjunction
with ITI's president, develops and establishes the Association's public policy
positions and priorities within Board-approved guidelines, the ITI Business
Plan and, as appropriate, positions developed by policy committees. The consensus
of this committee defines ITI's public policy positions.
Trade Policy Committee: Promotes policies
that expand market access for ICT products and services through bilateral,
regional and multilateral negotiations and enforcement of agreements; and address
technical regulations and other non-tariff barriers that inhibit market growth
and trade. The TPC garners support for its policy priorities with in-country
company representatives and trade associations domestically and abroad, and
engages government officials and international organizations to achieve desired
outcomes.
Electronic Commerce Committee: Develops
and implements policy positions that promote increased access to IT products
and services in domestic and global markets. Through this committee, ITI addresses
critical issues such as consumer privacy, Internet security, Internet taxes,
and the creation of a legal framework for electronic commerce.
Intellectual Property Committee: Establishes
and advances the ITI’s positions on existing and proposed legislation,
government policies, and regulations relative to all aspects of proprietary
rights.
Telecommunications Committee: Shapes Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) policies affecting the IT industry, including
those related to broadband deployment, interconnection, access charges, universal
service, and compilation.
Tax Committee: Develops and recommends
ITI’s positions on domestic and international tax policies and regulations,
including those that may affect electronic commerce.
Workforce Committee: Shapes workforce
policies (i.e., education, training, stock options, and H1B visas) that will
advance the technological leadership and global competitiveness of U.S. IT
companies.
TECHNOLOGY AND TRADE PROGRAM
ITI’s Technology and Trade Program addresses global standards,
technical regulations, regulatory policy, and international trade issues for
our member companies. Ann Rollins, Vice President of Technology and Trade,
and her team educate and garner support for U.S. and international policies
that greatly impact the information and communications technology (ICT) sector.
Regulatory Policy Committee: Works directly
with governments around the world to address technical regulations and their
associated conformance and testing requirements for the ICT sector, and consider
appropriate alternatives.
Standardization Policy Committee: Identifies,
prioritizes, and addresses commercial and public policy issues affecting voluntary
standardization for the information and communications technology (ICT) sector.
The SPC advocates for global, market-led, voluntary standardization that increases
customer value and facilitates ICT market development.
Accessibility Policy Committee: Identifies,
prioritizes, and addresses global public policy issues related to accessibility
for the IT and communications sector. The APC is working towards the
international harmonization of procurement practices and technology standards
for accessibility in order to create a reasonably uniform global playing field
for technology companies and to ensure the availability of increasingly high
quality accessible IT for all people.
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Working Group: RFID
is a technological advancement poised to stimulate significant economic growth
and activity. The existing and potential benefits to consumers and global
markets of RFID as a technology are immense. The RFID Working Group works
to ensure RFID as a technology that facilitates global trade. It focuses
on both the standardization and public policy issues related to RFID.
Energy and Environment Committee: Educates
policy makers, the media and the public about the critical role information
technology plays in helping government, businesses and consumers manage and
save energy. The E&E Working Group promotes IT as a critical component
in mitigating the environmental impact of electricity generation and usage.
Technical Regulations Committee: Addresses
the content of ICT standards and their development process when they are intended
for use in regulations. The TRC supports references to standards that meet
the tests of real usage (e.g. responsive to the real-world, performance-based,
technically sound). ITI believes that standards considered for use in regulations
should be developed through a process that is both open and global.
TC1 – Environment: Brings together ITI
company representatives to monitor and be proactively engaged in environment/product
ecology regulatory & standards requirements to ensure access to global
markets and sufficient representation of member interests. TC1 addresses selected
issues not otherwise addressed by other trade organizations and helps to reinforce
an existing industry position or effort for which success is critical or at
risk.
TC2 – Product Safety: Reviews requirements
and proposals related to standards and test house or regulatory agency practices
in the area of product safety affecting information technology equipment and
lasers; develops ITI positions and makes appropriate recommendations to Technical
Regulatory Committee; establishes and maintains liaisons with organizations
involved in product safety as required.
TC5 – Electromagnetic Compatibility: Reviews
and assesses the technical requirements and/or proposals being developed by
national and international regulatory agencies, and by consensus standards
organizations in establishing limits and methods of measurements pertaining
to EMC.
TC6 – Product Acoustics: Monitors
and reports on laws, regulations and standards related to product acoustic
noise emissions and measurements; makes recommendations to standards groups
for harmonization of standards; and makes proposals for other requirements
needed for effective implementation.
TC8 – Telecommunications: Reviews,
assesses and influences requirements and/or proposals being developed by national
and international regulatory agencies and work to significantly reduce barriers
to market access and streamline worldwide regulatory approvals. Promotes
Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity, at the global level, toward facilitating
technical innovation and international trade; develops ITI positions and makes
appropriate recommendations to Technical Regulatory Committee; and establishes
and maintains liaison with organizations involved in wire-line convergence.
Asia Pacific Regulatory Network (APRN): Facilitates
cooperation among members in the Asia pacific region regarding matters in which
there is a common interest; promote the removal of technical and regulatory
barriers to trade in ITI products in the region; encourage transparency and
streamlining in the regulatory process; and extend greater ITI support to ITI
members in Asia.
Latin America Regulatory Network (LARN): Provides
members with a forum to pool information and resources and to combine and coordinate
industry efforts aimed at overcoming common market access obstacles beyond
tariff eliminations/reductions. LARN is managed under the Regulatory
Policy Committee, but also gains participation and expertise by coordinating
with the Technical Regulations Committee and its subcommittees. Most
of the LARN's work is conducted electronically (e-mail listserv, Web page,
and conference calls), with face-to-face meetings as necessary.
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