WASHINGTON-The Telecommunications Industry Association announced it officially completed its merger with the MultiMedia Telecommunications Association, which now is a not-for-profit subsidiary of TIA.
The union is the final result of an alliance between TIA and MMTA that began late last year, when the two signed a Memorandum of Understanding, which laid out the possibility of a merger by the end of 1997.
“During the past year, our affiliation with MMTA matured into the anticipated union that will ensure our ability to further serve the communications industry’s needs in the new millennium,” said Matthew Flanigan, TIA president. “TIA and MMTA collaborated on a number of projects in 1997, including the production of the `1997 MultiMedia Telecommunications Market Review and Forecast,’ a comprehensive industry report and market strategy planning tool. I believe that the market review is merely one example of how our combined efforts can help serve our members in the converging communications marketplace.”
In its new role as a subsidiary, MMTA will keep its identity, maintaining a separate organization structure and dues. MMTA will share offices with TIA, in Arlington, Va.
The two organizations boast 1,000 companies as members. TIA has a membership of 625 companies, both large and small, that provide communications and information technology products, materials, systems, distribution services and professional services. It represents the telecom industry in partnership with the Electronic Industries Association. MMTA has about 450 members, including manufacturers, distributors, integrators, software developers, value-added resellers and corporate users.
MMTA’s focus is on marketing implications of public policy decisions and technology development, while TIA concentrates on establishing standards and engineering.
MMTA originally was formed as the North American Telephone Association, but later reorganized to recognize the convergence of telecom and computing.
“MMTA has undergone a tremendous transformation over the past few years since we adapted our mission to match our members’ rapidly changing needs,” said William Moroney, MMTA president. “As we look to the future, our goal remains unchanged-to support the growth of markets for business solutions based on the convergence of communications and computing technologies.”
As such, MMTA said it is committed to supporting the convergence of communications and computing technologies as a global policy, technical interoperability and a market development forum for it members.
