ITI board votes to move forward on TechNet merger Talks

The Information Technology Industry Council's board of directors on Wednesday voted in favor of moving forward with discussions to merge with the fellow Washington trade association TechNet.

Dean Garfield, chief executive of ITI, said board members signaled "strong support" for continuing these merger talks.

"Our members want to create a more effective, unified voice for the technology sector in Washington, D.C., and key markets and capitals around the world," Garfield said in a statement following the vote at the trade group's full board meeting. "They share the common goal of building a global technology advocacy organization with the innovative policy and political networks to match the tech sector’s economic strength and role in our daily lives."

ITI hopes to complete these discussions about consolidation with TechNet by the end of the year. ITI's member companies include a broad swath of the tech industry — including Apple, Google, Cisco and eBay — and are active on policy issues ranging from intellectual property to cybersecurity.

“At the core, we want to deepen our policy insights, enhance our influence, and develop innovative solutions to the major challenges facing our industry and governments alike," Garfield added. "If successful, the path we are taking will help us to achieve that goal.”

The vote outcome signals a shift in ITI member companies' attitude towards the prospect of merging with another technology trade association. Last month more than a dozen members voted against merging with other trade groups in a survey circulated by ITI, according to Politico.

---