ATIS Board of Directors Releases Blueprint for Integrating Communications Standards Development Work.

Business Editors/Hi-Tech Writers

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 1, 2001

The board of directors of the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) unveiled today a blueprint for integrating the telecommunications standards activities of ATIS with those being spun off from the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA).

The ATIS Board of Directors approved the blueprint during its recent October 25 meeting.

"For years, ATIS members have worked tirelessly to develop and deliver critical industry standards, guidelines and solutions," said Martin McCue, Chairman of the ATIS Board of Directors. "A constructive alignment/integration of the various TIA and ATIS standards committees would provide an unprecedented opportunity for public benefits - allowing committee participants to focus this country's communications standards work and establish a single voice in the global communications standards arena."

The ATIS Board of Directors developed the blueprint following TIA's August 20 announcement to separate its trade association operations from those of its standards engineering committees, and to house the committees under a yet-to-be-established standards development organization.

In releasing the blueprint, the ATIS Board identified a number of key reasons why the ATIS committees and the TIA engineering committees should be aligned under one organization. Also noted was ATIS' successful history and long standing reputation for openness, fairness and due process as a standards organization, making ATIS an obvious choice as a host organization for standards work.

Additionally, the board noted that ATIS' family of committees is not limited to technical standards, but is also actively involved in developing service process guidelines and addressing operational issues which support the design and implementation of technical standards.

Participants in communications standards committees would gain from organizational synergies and enjoy other benefits in such an environment.

The ATIS Board concluded that, in today's environment, the industry could ill afford to expend resources to build an entirely new standards development organization from the ground up.

Board members also anticipate that recent events will trigger an increased emphasis on critical communications infrastructure protection and security, requiring swift action and minimal distractions for the industry's standards community.

"The ATIS Board of Directors firmly believes that the creation of yet another communications standards organization does not best meet the needs of the industry," said ATIS President and CEO Susan Miller. "It would be a step backwards, as the industry and the ATIS Board have already affirmed that ATIS is the most appropriate venue for the deliberation and creation of communications standards."

ATIS' 17 industry standards committees and forums produced over 252 critical standards, technical requirements and specifications in 2000, the successful end result of active participation and contributions from over 1,500 technicians and industry experts from more than 400 telecommunications companies.

Copies of the blueprint were delivered to ATIS committee leaders and TIA representatives this week. A document outlining the blueprint for integration is available on the ATIS web site at www.atis.org.

The Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) is a member company organization that defines standards and operating procedures for the telecommunications industry.

Industry experts from more than 400 telecommunications companies participate in ATIS committees, whose work focus includes network interconnection standards, number portability, improved data transmission, wireless communications, critical network infrastructure, Internet telephony, toll-free access, and order and billing issues.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) frequently refers operations issues to ATIS committees for recommended solutions. Members of ATIS and committee participants include, but are not limited to, telecommunications service providers, manufacturers, software developers, resellers, enhanced service providers, and providers of operations support.

Information on ATIS is available on the World Wide Web at www.atis.org, by contacting the ATIS headquarters at 202/628-6380, or by writing to: ATIS, 1200 G Street, NW, Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20005.