According to the U.S. Government's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) definition, "cloud computing is a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction." Cloud services offer significant cost savings to public and private implementers, along with, among other benefits, scalability, ease of implementation, and enhanced remote access to information.
TIA member companies are heavily invested in the proliferation of cloud services. Our members believe that through engagement in existing voluntary and consensus-based processes – which will naturally include detailed study to ensure that interoperability, portability and security (among other) concerns are fully addressed – the cloud goals of the U.S. Government (and others) can most effectively and resource-efficiently be realized.
We are dedicated to the success of the cloud. For example, TIA maintains widely-used standards such as TIA-942 (Telecommunications Infrastructure Standard for Data Centers) in its Engineering Committee TR-42 (Telecommunications Cabling Systems). The purpose of this Standard is to provide requirements and guidelines for the design and installation of a data center or computer room. It is intended for use by designers who need a comprehensive understanding of the data center design including the facility planning, the cabling system, and the network design. The standard enables the data center design to be considered early in the building development process, contributing to the architectural considerations, by providing information that cuts across the multidisciplinary design efforts; promoting cooperation in the design and construction phases.
We hope that China will use this break in the negotiations to reexamine its approach to the negotiations to expand the ITA and focus on reducing its overly large list of sensitive products. If China is ready to move forward to conclude the expansion of the ITA this year then the ITA Expansion is achievable this year.
As part of a large U.S. industry delegation representing a broad array of ICT manufacturers, TIA is in Geneva, Switzerland this week to cheer on the trade negotiators who are working hard to conclude the negotiations to expand the product coverage of the WTO’s Information Technology Agreement (ITA). The ITA remains one of the most commercially important WTO trade agreements – by eliminating tariffs on a broad range of ICT products, the ITA lowers the cost and improves access to these products, which are vital to the economic competitiveness of all economies around the world.
The Telecommunications Industry Association was in Geneva last week along with AdvaMed, the Consumer Electronics Association, the Entertainment Software Association, the Information Technology Industry Council, the Liquid Crystal Polymer Coalition, the Motion Picture Association of America, and the Semiconductor Industry Association. This coalition of high-tech companies represents a broad spectrum of manufacturers and service providers in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector.
Last week was a busy one at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland. The signs are very encouraging that the member countries of the WTO are back on track to move the WTO’s trade liberalization agenda forward – from the new International Services Agreement (ISA) to the ongoing negotiations to expand the existing WTO Information Technology Agreement (ITA).
