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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Alan Fogg,
Director of Communications
afogg@fceda.org, 703-790-0600
World IT Association Makes Fairfax County Its Home
Fairfax County, Virginia, December 11, 1997 — The World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA), a group representing the global information technology industry, and the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority today unveiled plans to make Fairfax County the home of the organization.
"It is only fitting that the voice of the global IT industry be housed in the heart of the Silicon Dominion," said Harris N. Miller, WITSA's President and President of the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), the U.S. member of WITSA.
"Locating WITSA in Fairfax County will capitalize on the strengths of each organization and ultimately, will further enhance Fairfax County's image as a global center for IT, " said Robert Laurence, WITSA's Chairman.
The plans were announced earlier today by Patricia Woolsey, Chairman of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority Commission. "We are pleased that WITSA has chosen Fairfax County as its home. It represents the growing recognition of our County as a force in the global IT industry," said Ms. Woolsey.
Fairfax County has become a center of national and international commerce and a world-class location for the development and application of IT. It has a strong and dynamic business base and is home to more than 1,600 businesses working directly in the IT industry, research and development firms, business services, trade and professional associations and corporate headquarters (including four of the Fortune 500).
The move builds upon an already strong relationship between WITSA and Fairfax County. Together the two organizations are sponsoring the biannual World Congress on Information Technology, which will take place at George Mason University from June 21 to 24, 1998. The World Congress brings together nearly 2,000 senior information technology executives from around the world and is designed to provide world business and government leaders an opportunity to discus emerging markets, and how legal, political and economic trends affect business opportunities. Key speakers at the World Congress include Jim Barksdale, CEO of Netscape Communications and Phil Condit, Chairman and CEO of Boeing.
The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority provides a wide array of services and information designed to promote Fairfax County as a business location for domestic and international companies and organizations. The FCEDA assists businesses by identifying possible sites and facilities and provides up-to-date demographic and economic statistics. For more information about the FCEDA's programs and services, visit their Web page at www.FairfaxCountyEDA.org.
WITSA is a consortium of 28 IT associations from around the world. In addition to holding the World Congress on Information Technology, WITSA serves as the voice of the world IT industry. WITSA represents the views of the IT industry in such fora as the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the G-7 and the World Intellectual Property Organization. ITAA, the U.S. Member of WITSA, consists of 11,000 direct and affiliate members throughout the U.S. which produce products and services in the IT industry. The Association plays a leading role in public policy issues of concern to the IT industry including taxes, intellectual property, telecommunications, encryption, securities litigation reform, and human resources policy. ITAA members range from the smallest of IT start ups to industry leaders in the software, services, system integration, telecommunication, Internet, and computer consulting fields.
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