WASHINGTON-The Personal Communications Industry Association said Thursday that it is eliminating 10 positions as it “recharges its organization to further advance [the] wireless industry.”
“In 1999, PCIA had the best fiscal year in its history. To continue this success, we are setting a new strategic direction and making organizational changes consistent with the emerging market trends that will shape our future … After undertaking a complete evaluation of each and every position at PCIA, as well as a thorough look at the core competencies the organization needs to move forward efficiently and effectively, the association has been organized into 81 positions, from a previous total of 91,” said PCIA President Jay Kitchen.
The move comes at a time when PCIA is being seen by many industry players as almost an unnecessary duplication of the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association as evidenced by the fact that large players in the wireless industry-such as Lucent Technologies Inc.-are not planning on attending the association’s trade show in Chicago in September.
This view is not shared by PCIA.
“We believe we have given birth to a lot of industries … PCIA will continue to be in touch with the marketplace,” said John Sherlock, PCIA chief operating officer.
As for the show, PCIA believes that many players in the “convergence” space will attend this year’s show.
PCIA defines convergence as “end-user services that will combine wireless voice, Internet, messaging and eventually multimedia. The companies that will provide these services-and not all of them will be traditional telecom companies-will have to come together to serve their customers.”
Details are few and sketchy of what direction PCIA plans to take itself but it did say its “goal is two-fold: to identify the end-user needs and help these companies understand the marketplace so that they can develop the right products and services and the right content at the right price; and to educate the public to help create a thriving marketplace.”
PCIA, which is governed by a variety of industry councils representing the paging, personal communications services, specialized mobile radio and fixed wireless industries, says it has not made any definitive plans to create new councils for specific industry sectors.
“An evolving industry necessitates a fluid strategy,” Sherlock said.
In response to many of RCR’s questions, Sherlock stressed the opportunities globally and in the wireless data space.
If PCIA attempts to fashion a council for wireless data, it will find itself up against the same behemoth it has been battling in the mobile-phone space: CTIA. In 1998, CTIA created the Wireless Data Forum. According to information supplied by WDF, the association currently has more than 100 members in “a technology-neutral trade group dedicated to promoting the wireless data industry.”
PCIA is not worried. “I really think because this industry is so attractive, there are going to be lots of folks wishing to provide products and services,” Sherlock said.
In the mobile-phone arena, there has been wide speculation that when the merger between Omnipoint Corp. and VoiceStream Wireless closes, Omnipoint will leave PCIA because of VoiceStream’s strong ties to CTIA. PCIA said Omnipoint’s dues are paid up through the end of the calendar year and “we hope they will want to work with us in the future.”
PCIA has continually stressed its desire to be more than a mobile-phone association. In an interview last September, Kitchen said the roots of the organization were in paging but that it was evolving into other areas.
“Our roots are in paging and messaging and that whole industry is evolving into something very different than what is was even back as recently as the merger of the two organizations-NABER (National Association of Business and Educational Radio) and Telocator-but we have also looked at opportunities to move into other areas,” Kitchen said.
The Kitchen interview was shortly after a strategic retreat held with senior staff in August. PCIA says it was this meeting that was the “catalyst” for the changes that are now being implemented.
PCIA has also recently had key staffers either leave or announce their intention to leave for greener pastures.
This is the last week for Mary McDermott, PCIA senior vice president and chief of staff for government relations, who is leaving to become senior vice president and general counsel for PathNet.
Additionally, Dave Murray, formerly PCIA director of legislative affairs, left for WinStar Communications Inc. The status of the legislative post appears murky. When asked if the position was being filled, Sherlock responded that the duties of the job were being handled by Angela Giancarlo, PCIA director of federal regulatory affairs, and outside consultants. While Giancarlo said she was “flattered” to be asked to help out the organization, she said the double-duty was only temporary.
PCIA later confirmed that it is only a temporary position and “when all is said and done” the position formerly held by Murray is not being eliminated.
