The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), the leading association representing the manufacturers and suppliers of high-tech connectivity networks, and QuEST Forum, the global association dedicated to quality and sustainability in the information communication and technology (ICT) industry, announced they have reached an agreement to merge the two associations.
Per a press release, "the move is part of a strategic effort to offer support and services that address a full range of needs facing the connectivity industry. QuEST Forum is joining with TIA to form a single technology association that will be uniquely suited to accelerate modern connectivity and address the business, technology and industry transformation needs of its members. This holistic approach, which includes trusted standards, common performance and quality metrics, supportive public policies and market alignment, is essential to delivering the Internet of Things, Smart Cities, and the network transformation needed for virtualization, NFV/SDN, and transition to the cloud."
“This merger expands our ability to deliver member value across the full spectrum of business, technology and policy needs,” commented Wesley Johnston, TIA CEO. “TIA is an established leader when it comes to technology and business acceleration, global standards development, and business advocacy. QuEST Forum brings services and tremendous experience in global TL 9000 quality metrics, benchmarking, and sustainability. Together, we will have even more resources and expertise to drive the ICT industry forward and help companies navigate the rapid pace of change.”
The new organization constitutes a global community of more than 500 members, engineering committee and partner organizations across the Americas, Europe-Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. The merger is expected to create access to a wider market for the combined portfolio and it positions the organization for long-term growth.
Fraser Pajak, CEO of QuEST Forum, said, “This dynamic combination will not only drive greater member value, it will allow us to meet the needs of a broader range of companies. Service providers, large enterprises, suppliers and integrators will find we have resources and programs to help them improve speed-to-market, sustainability and bottom line results.”
The merger is subject to the ratification of a definitive agreement, and is expected to close in fourth quarter 2017. Once completed, the QuEST Forum community will become an active part of TIA. Pajak will take an executive role within TIA, directly reporting to CEO Johnston.
Susan Johnson, Senior Vice President, Global Supply Chain, AT&T Services, remarked, “AT&T is a founding member of QuEST Forum and a longtime supporter of TIA. This merger will bring significant business opportunities to companies across our industry. Companies are quickly transforming, and industry organizations must also transform in ways that allow them to effectively address a full range of business, technology, policy and sustainability issues.”
Additional details of the merger include:
-- The TL 9000 standard is the telecom industry’s unique extension to ISO 9001. The QuEST Forum community within TIA will continue to develop, implement and enhance the TL 9000 quality management system, along with sustainability standards and performance practices.
-- Headquarters for the combined organization will be TIA’s current location in Arlington, Virginia. The combined organization will continue to have an office in Plano, TX where most of the current QuEST Forum staff are based, as well as a QuEST Forum location in Shenzhen, China.
-- The board of directors for both organizations will be combined into a single board.
The announcement was made at QuEST Forum’s Americas Service Providers and Suppliers Summit being held in Dallas this week. More information on the merger can be found at www.tiaonline.org and www.questforum.org.