FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 31, 2009
TIA Hires Cheryl Blum as Vice President of Standards and Business Development
A Senior Manager at Alcatel-Lucent, Blum Has Been Active in TIA Global Standards Development for 15 Years
Arlington, Va. – The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), a leading global standards development organization (SDO) for the information and communications technology (ICT) industry, has hired Cheryl Blum as Vice President for Standards and Business Development.
Blum will be leaving Alcatel-Lucent, where she is a Senior Manager. She has been with the company (formerly AT&T Bell Laboratories and Lucent Technologies) for 30 years. Blum has extensive experience with almost every aspect of telecom systems, including software development, systems engineering, network architecture and standards development.
"Standards development is one of TIA's core missions and we're fortunate to be able to bring in someone of Cheryl's outstanding caliber," said TIA President Grant Seiffert. "She has an incredible depth of experience, institutional knowledge and is extremely well connected in the ICT standards development community. The timing, too, is critical as we look to Cheryl to help guide TIA's expanding efforts in the development of Environmental, Health Information Technology and Intelligent Transport Design standards."
Blum has been active in TIA Standards Development for over 15 years. Her focus has been in the areas of wireless core network development, including its evolution to IP-based networks, and in developing Public Safety/Homeland Security standards for Lawfully Authorized Electronic Surveillance (CALEA), E911, Wireless Priority Services and Commercial Mobile Alert Service (CMAS).
"TIA's standards program is world-class in every respect and is a driving force behind compatibility and interoperability across the global network," said Blum. "I was very fortunate to have been involved with TIA standards for over 15 years representing a board member company. I'm thrilled now to actually be part of TIA, especially during this time of major changes in industry trends with the related challenges of shaping standards development to meet far-reaching needs."
Blum currently is the Chair of Engineering Committee TR-45 Mobile and Personal Communications Systems Standards and has held this position for more than eight years. She was also recently elected as the Vice-Chair of the Wireless Communications Division. Blum also represents TIA as the Head of Delegation to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2) and is also the 3GPP2 Steering Committee Chair for the two-year term, 2009-2010.
Through the years, Blum has represented TIA on various committees and fora such as the NSTAC effort to address Public Safety Capabilities in Next Generation Networks, and the FCC Commercial Mobile Service Alert Advisory Committee (CMSAAC). Blum has also been a member of the TIA Delegation to the Global Standards Collaboration meetings for the last six years and was TIA's Chair for the Global Radio Standards Collaboration (GRSC) hosted by TIA in June 2006.
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About TIA
The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) represents the global information and communications technology (ICT) industry through standards development, advocacy, tradeshows, business opportunities, market intelligence and world-wide environmental regulatory analysis. With roots dating back to 1924, TIA enhances the business environment for broadband, mobile wireless, information technology, networks, cable, satellite and unified communications. Members' products and services empower communications in every industry and market, including healthcare, education, security, public safety, transportation, government, the military, the environment and entertainment.
TIA co-owns the SUPERCOMM® tradeshow and is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Visit tiaonline.org.
About TIA Standards Development
Thousands of communications leaders work through TIA's standards program to enhance the business environment for telecommunications, broadband, mobile wireless, information technology, networks, cable, satellite, unified communications, emergency communications, vehicular telematics and healthcare ICT.
More than 1,100 subject-matter experts and other industry leaders participate in TIA's 70+ engineering committees, subcommittees, working groups and Technical Advisory Groups (TAGs) and the Third Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2). Their collaborative efforts have produced more than 3,500 standards documents. These invaluable reference tools are used by industry and government entities across the globe to help develop numerous products and services.
TIA's Board of Directors includes senior-level executives from ACS, ADC, ADTRAN, Alcatel-Lucent, ANDA Networks, ArrayComm, AttivaCorp, Avaya, Bechtel Communications, Inc., Cisco Systems, Corning Incorporated, Ericsson, Inc., GENBAND, Inc., Graybar, Henkels & McCoy, ILS Technology, Intel Corporation, Intersect, Inc., LGE, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia Siemens Networks, Nortel, Panasonic Computer Solutions Co., Qualcomm, Research In Motion, Sumitomo Electric Lightwave Corporation, Tellabs, Tyco Electronics, Ulticom, Inc., and Verari Systems. Advisors to the Board include FAL Associates, Orca Systems and Telcordia Technologies.
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