AeA Testifies before Joint Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets in Massachusetts

AeA Supports Further Investment in State’s Technology Infrastructure

Woburn, MA (February 27, 2008) – This morning, Anne Doherty Johnson, AeA’s New England Council Executive Director, testified before the Joint Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets, and expressed strong support of the Massachusetts Information Technology bond bill. Among other items, the bond calls for $450 million to modernize critical state information technology systems. Some excerpts from Anne Doherty Johnson’s testimony can be found below.

“In our view, it is critical that this bill pass quickly so that our state can get to work on improving and upgrading its IT infrastructure. As a world class center for technology, our state deserves no less. We can not – and should not – fall behind other states in the use of technology and the benefits it provides.

“This bond bill would commit Massachusetts to significant IT investment and open opportunities for member participation. It is important to stress that the technology companies that provide these products and services serve as a critical driver of the state’s overall economic well being and account for significant employment here. Any state investment in IT therefore, will in turn help strengthen one of the industries so vital to our continued success and prosperity.”

Earlier this month, AeA met with the new Massachusetts CIO, Anne Margulies, to discuss the bond bill and the state's IT plans for the future, and offered support in helping to educate members of the legislature about the critical need for this investment.

In Massachusetts, the high-tech industry accounts for over 237,000 jobs, over 12,000 high-tech establishments, and a payroll or $21.3 billion - a major contributor to the state’s economy and success. Nationally, Massachusetts ranks as the sixth largest high-tech state in the nation according to Cyberstates 2007: A Complete State-by-State Overview of the High-Technology Industry, AeA’s annual report of national tech trends on employment, venture capital investments, state employment, wages, establishments, payroll, and research and development.

AeA represents over 1.8 million high-tech employees in more than 2,000 technology sector companies across the country. Over 100 of those companies are in Massachusetts, including Agilent, Dell, Microsoft and Sun Microsystems, among others.

To read Anne Doherty Johnson’s full testimony, please visit www.aeanet.org/H4455.

To learn more about AeA's New England Council, please visit www.aeanet.org/newengland. 


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About AeA
AeA, the nation’s largest technology trade association representing all segments of the high-tech industry, is dedicated solely to helping our members’ top line and bottom line. We do this in partnership with our small, medium, and large member companies by lobbying governments at the state, federal, and international levels, providing access to capital and business opportunities, and offering select business services and networking programs. For more information, please visit www.aeanet.org.

This page was last updated on 02/29/08.