Washington, DC…. Dean Garfield, President and CEO of the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), announced today two major initiatives that will advance ITI’s ongoing efforts to build a strategically-focused, forward-thinking global advocacy organization.  The first initiative is the launch today of the Information Technology Alliance for Public Sector (ITAPS). With the expertise of seasoned professionals, ITAPS will promote -- through market-shaping advocacy -- federal, state and local government understanding and procurement of cutting-edge technologies, while fostering an enabling regulatory environment for access to such technologies.  

The recent headlines around the Affordable Care Act reinforce the importance of governments developing a deep understanding of technology and technology procurement best practices.

“ITI’s mission is to be a global advocacy organization with impact, influence, and power commensurate with the dynamism and innovativeness of the tech sector.  With ITAPS, led by A.R. “Trey” Hodgkins, ITI is positioned to enable governments to be wise in how they set tech policy, and how they buy and use technology to better deliver government programs and services,” said Dean Garfield.

“It has been an honor and privilege to serve at TechAmerica. I am looking forward to this new opportunity at ITI.  ITI is increasingly at the forefront of a number of policy initiatives that shape how the U.S. public sector utilizes technology, and ITAPS will be an innovative complement to those efforts.  I am thrilled to be working with Dean and the ITI team,” said Trey Hodgkins, Senior Vice President Public Sector.

The second ITI initiative will be an expanded strategic effort on international market access advocacy, starting with the establishment of an ITI presence in India. The past few years have reinforced the critical role India plays in a number of important policy arenas, including cybersecurity, privacy, and trade.  Restrictive market access policies in that growing market could compel other countries to pursue similar problematic measures.  

“Given the strong technology footprint in India, ITI's engagement there is essential to advance US-India bilateral relations and public policies important to ITI members' ability to compete and innovate in global markets,” said John Neuffer, Senior Vice President for Global Public Policy at ITI.

“The launch of ITAPS and our future presence in India together build on a solid foundation and the stellar team at ITI that has taken tech sector advocacy to new heights and dimensions,” said Garfield.  “As we prepare to celebrate our centennial in 2016, we know that we are at the precipice of an emerging technology-driven renaissance that is likely to transform the current information age as it did the Industrial Revolution.”

Media contact: Amy Weiss, Amy@weisspublicaffairs.com, 202-203-0448

About ITI

The Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) is the premier advocacy and policy organization for the world’s leading innovation companies.  ITI navigates the relationships between policymakers, companies, and non-governmental organizations, providing creative solutions that advance the development and use of technology around the world.  Visit itic.org to learn more.