Global Information Technology Alliance, WITSA, Welcomes New Association Members

China, Vietnam, Kenya and Indonesia Associations Join Alliance

Paris, France - The World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA) today announced that Vietnam Software Association (VINASA), Computer Society of Kenya (CSK), and Indonesian Telematic Software Association (ASPILUKI) will join WITSA as members, with formal voting and approval to occur here on October 25, 2002 at the WITSA Steering Committee meeting. The Steering Committee will also approve membership application from the China Information Industry Trade Association (CIITA) subject to final approval by the China Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

WITSA Chairman George Newstrom has made China membership a high priority of his Chairmanship, and traveled to Beijing in June of this year to meet with CIITA officials. Newstrom initially took over the leadership of the global industry alliance in June of 2000, and is the current Secretary of Technology of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

“Our WITSA study, Digital Planet 2002, indicates that China is the world’s fastest growing ICT market, with a compound annual growth rate of twenty-seven percent, and is also the sixth largest consumer of ICT products and services today. China holds the world’s most diverse untapped resource for information technology,” Newstrom said. The membership of CIITA into WITSA symbolizes the ever-strengthening unifying force of information and communications technology, and we are pleased to begin work with them right away,” he added.

About WITSA

The World Information Technology and Services Alliance is a consortium of 49 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.