The World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA) is a consortium of associations from the information technology

Information technology

Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...

 (IT) industry around the world. The group claims that it represents over 90% of the world IT market, and has a stated goal of advancing the growth and development of the IT industry. WITSA was founded in 1978 as the World Computing Services Industry Association, and claims that it has since increasingly participated in advocacy in international public policy

Public policy

Public policy as government action is generally the principled guide to action taken by the administrative or executive branches of the state with regard to a class of issues in a manner consistent with law and institutional customs. In general, the foundation is the pertinent national and...

 that affects the "global information infrastructure". It voices the concerns of the international IT industry in organisations such as the World Trade Organization

World Trade Organization

The World Trade Organization is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , which commenced in 1948...

, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is an international economic organisation of 34 countries founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade...

, and the G8

G8

The Group of Eight is a forum, created by France in 1975, for the governments of seven major economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In 1997, the group added Russia, thus becoming the G8...

.

WCIT Legacy

• 2010, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

2008, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

• 2006, Austin, Texas, USA
• 2004, Athens, Greece
• 2002, Adelaide, Australia
• 2000, Taipei, Taiwan
• 1998, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
• 1996, Bilbao, Spain
• 1994, Yokohama, Japan
• 1992, London, England
• 1990, Washington D.C., USA
• 1988, Paris, France
• 1986, Toronto, Canada
• 1984, Tokyo, Japan
• 1982, Copenhagen, Denmark
• 1980, San Francisco, California, USA
• 1978, Barcelona, Spain

WITSA Global ICT Excellence Awards

The WITSA Global ICT Excellence Awards honor exceptional achievements in the application of information technology around the globe. Winners of these prestigious awards have exhibited excellence within one of three categories: Public Sector Excellence, Private Sector Excellence, and Digital Opportunity. In addition, a special Chairman's Award is presented to a nominee selected from the entire pool of candidates from all three awards categories. The award ceremonies are a signature event of the proceedings at the World Congress on Information Technology. In honoring the best users of ICT, the awards enable member companies to showcase their customers' innovation.

Global Public Policy Conference

WITSA's Global Public Policy Conference enhances the international dialogue and global cooperation on key public policy issues including electronic commerce, privacy, education, and ICT in developing countries. The conferences are held every two years, on alternate years from the World Congress on Information Technology. GPPC 2007 was held in Cairo, Egypt, on November 4–6, 2007. It will next be held in Bermuda on November 1–3, 2009.

Digital Planet

Produced by WITSA, the biennial Digital Planet report provides current, comprehensive data documenting the size and shape of the ICT marketplace around the globe. The report highlights major trends in global ICT spending while telling the story of global expansion in Internet usage, e-commerce penetration, and use of ICT equipment and services. WITSA publishes this guide to help policymakers, technology developers, and the general public to understand the ICT trends shaping society today. A 2008 edition will be published in conjunction with the 2008 World Congress on IT in Kuala Lumpur, May 18–22, 2008.

WITSA Public Policy Report

This policy book, published annually and available on the WITSA website, is a summary of the positions taken by WITSA on global ICT issues. These papers have been used by the industry in its dialogue with governments and multilateral institutions in their decision-making process with regard to important issues of concern to the ICT industry, including e-commerce, information security and privacy, taxation, e-government, and workforce issues.

WITSA Newsletter

WITSA's quarterly newsletter provides timely information on industry activities and policy developments at the global and national levels, including an overview of WITSA member activities, WITSA programs and events. The WITSA newsletter, available on the WITSA website, is announced by e-mail to WITSA members and other subscribers.

ICT Growth and Development

WITSA undertakes partnerships and initiates industry-wide efforts for the overall benefit of the global ICT community and its beneficiaries worldwide. The fruit of these efforts is growing steadily as young ICT organizations develop and join the global ICT community in confronting challenges and seizing opportunities.

External links

• Official website of the World Information Technology and Services Alliance
• WITSA Global ICT Awards
• Winners of the 2006 Global IT Excellence Awards Photos
• WITSA white papers
• WITSA Presentations
• WITSA Newsletter
• 2010 World Congress on IT; Amsterdam, The Netherlands, May 25–27, 2010
• 2008 World Congress on IT; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 18–22, 2008