WASHINGTON-Come Friday, the Industrial Telecommunications Association is set to become the Enterprise Wireless Alliance as it expands its focus and merges with the American Mobile Telecommunications Association.
“New and innovative technologies that promote enterprise business productivity, the ability to compete effectively and contribute to financial success are rapidly changing the wireless landscape,” said Mark Crosby, who is the new ITA/EWA president.
As a national organization representing the wireless communications interests of enterprise businesses and those that serve this critical market, we really had no choice but to expand our vision and service offerings to continue to provide our expanded membership base value in the future,” Crosby continued.
AMTA has been attempting to find its way with the decline in the SMR business and last year’s exit of long-time president, Alan Shark. Elizabeth Sachs, AMTA/EWA outside counsel, said there is a synergy between the two groups.
“The AMTA board consists of people who are in the communications business. ITA’s board has a number of members who are in the enterprise business for which communications is not their core business,” said Sachs.
The EWA board will be in excess of 40 members but Crosby said he thinks it “is still manageable.”
“From an advocacy and consensus-building point of view, it is better to have as many voices as possible,” said Crosby.
There will be no non-voting members in EWA.
“Under the alliance, since it is an alliance, everyone who joins has a vote. There are no non-voting members anymore,” said Crosby.
The prospect of stepping up the advocacy for issues of interest to private wireless excited ITA’s chairman, Rick Smith.
“I am excited about the prospects for an invigorated regulatory affairs forum where significant consensus building can take place and all enterprise users will benefit,” said Smith who will become EWA chairman.
With so many voices, Crosby acknowledged it might be difficult to reach consensus on some issues.
“There may be issues where the alliance cannot reach advocacy,” said Crosby. “The people who don’t agree will go ahead and file their own comments. There is no prohibition on that nor would we want to stifle that.”
As the lawyer for the group, Sachs said the consensus building should be helpful. “It is always easier to get a consensus before positions are hardened and certainly before they are written,” she said.
The first board meeting for the new group is scheduled to take place May 17 in Phoenix. The Enterprise Wireless 2005 show is set for Oct. 19-22 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn. RCR
