FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 24, 2009
 

TechAmerica Calls on States and Localities to Overhaul Procurement Practices, Remove Legal Impediments to Technology Innovation and Partnership with the Private Sector

Washington, DC and Arlington, VA – TechAmerica, formed by the merger of the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) and AeA, today released a white paper calling on state and local governments to revamp their procurement processes to facilitate innovation and improved services for citizens in partnership with the private sector. The paper, the first in a series, focuses on the contract terms and conditions used in many state and local government procurements, specifically those pertaining to technology bids.

“Over the last decade, in a period where state and local governments have increasingly relied on the private sector to provide critical services to their citizens, many of those governments have deployed an array of onerous contract terms that present frustration, increased cost, and added delay for the private sector,” said Olga Grkavac, Executive Vice President of TechAmerica. “Our members’ concerns have significantly increased in recent years as the challenges presented by certain contract clauses have a real, negative impact on technology-enabled transformation and the working relationships our members have with their customers and prospective customers.”

The paper reviews the challenges presented by unique and non-standard contract terms, which often limit competition for government business and contribute to less-than-ideal acquisitions. TechAmerica, through this paper, calls on states and localities to engage with their contracting communities – either directly or through interested associations such as the National Association of State Procurement Officers – to gather perspective that will inform them of the problems contractors perceive with present contract agreements and to examine alternative practices used in other large federal and commercial organizations.

To access the paper online, please go to:
http://www.itaa.org/upload/es/docs/TechAmerica_Procurement_White_Paper-ReformingTsandCs-Final.pdf

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About TechAmerica
TechAmerica is the leading voice for the U.S. technology industry, the driving force behind productivity growth and jobs creation in the United States and the foundation of the global innovation economy. Representing approximately 1,500 member companies of all sizes from the public and commercial sectors of the economy, it is the industry’s largest advocacy organization and is dedicated to helping members’ top and bottom lines. It is also the technology industry's only grassroots-to-global advocacy network, with offices in state capitals around the United States, Washington, D.C., Europe (Brussels) and Asia (Beijing). TechAmerica was formed by the merger of AeA (formerly the American Electronics Association), the Cyber Security Industry Alliance (CSIA), the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) and the Government Electronics & Information Technology Association (GEIA). Learn more at www.aeanet.org or www.itaa.org.

This page was last updated on 03/26/09.