March 12, 2002

For More Information Contact:
Bob Cohen
+1(703) 284-5301
bcohen@itaa.org

Tinabeth Burton
+1(703) 284-5305
tburton@itaa.org

GLOBAL IT INDUSTRY ALLIANCE, WITSA, RE-APPOINTS CHAIRMAN

Arlington, Virginia - The World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA) at its February 26, 2002 General Assembly meeting in Adelaide, Australia, unanimously re-appointed George Newstrom as its Chairman. Mr. Newstrom initially took over the leadership of the global industry alliance in June of 2000. Newstrom, who recently retired from EDS as its Corporate Senior Vice President and President, EDS Asia Pacific, is the current Secretary of Technology of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Mr. Newstrom also served as Chairman of the 1998 World Congress on IT held in Fairfax, Virginia.

"I am delighted to receive this opportunity to continue to serve the global IT industry," Newstrom said, adding, "I believe that when governments, business and consumers work together, we can create a better world through the use of information technology. It's our responsibility to bring industry together, to promote a trustworthy online business environment, and to play an active role in educating regulators and technology users on the great potential of IT."

"I am excited that Mr. Newstrom will continue to add energy to our programs and activities, such as the biannual World Congress on IT - the preeminent global IT executive conference hosted by WITSA since 1978, our benchmark study on IT-spending, 'the Digital Planet', and our initiatives on e-commerce, trade negotiations, digital opportunity and information security," added WITSA President Harris N. Miller.

About WITSA

The World Information Technology and Services Alliance is a consortium of 46 information technology (IT) industry associations from economies around the world. As the global voice of the IT industry, WITSA is dedicated to advocating policies that advance the industry's growth and development; facilitating international trade and investment in IT products and services; strengthening WITSA's national industry associations through the sharing of knowledge, experience, and critical information; providing members with a vast network of contacts in nearly every geographic region of the world; and hosting the World Congress on IT, the only industry sponsored global IT event. Founded in 1978 and originally known as the World Computing Services Industry Association, WITSA has increasingly assumed an active advocacy role in international public policy issues affecting the creation of a robust global information infrastructure. For additional information about WITSA and its activities, go to http://www.witsa.org.

The WITSA Secretariat is currently hosted by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA). For more information about ITAA, please visit its web site at http://www.itaa.org.