TIA and QuEST Forum Announce Merger

    ARLINGTON, VA and PLANO, TX, September 19, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), the leading association representing the manufacturers and suppliers of high-tech connectivity networks, and QuEST Forum, the global association dedicated to quality and sustainability in the information communication and technology (ICT) industry, today announced they have reached an agreement to merge the two associations. The move is part of a strategic effort to offer support and services that address a full range of needs facing the connectivity industry.

QuEST Forum is joining with TIA to form a single technology association that will be uniquely suited to accelerate modern connectivity and address the business, technology and industry transformation needs of its members. This holistic approach, which includes trusted standards, common performance and quality metrics, supportive public policies and market alignment, is essential to delivering the Internet of Things, Smart Cities, and the network transformation needed for virtualization, NFV/SDN, and transition to the cloud.

"This merger expands our ability to deliver member value across the full spectrum of business, technology and policy needs," commented Wesley Johnston, TIA CEO. "TIA is an established leader when it comes to technology and business acceleration, global standards development, and business advocacy. QuEST Forum brings services and tremendous experience in global TL 9000 quality metrics, benchmarking, and sustainability. Together, we will have even more resources and expertise to drive the ICT industry forward and help companies navigate the rapid pace of change."

The new organization constitutes a global community of more than 500 members, engineering committee and partner organizations across the Americas, Europe-Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. The merger is expected to create access to a wider market for the combined portfolio and it positions the organization for long-term growth.

Fraser Pajak, CEO of QuEST Forum, said, "This dynamic combination will not only drive greater member value, it will allow us to meet the needs of a broader range of companies. Service providers, large enterprises, suppliers and integrators will find we have resources and programs to help them improve speed-to-market, sustainability and bottom line results."

The merger is subject to the ratification of a definitive agreement, and is expected to close in fourth quarter 2017. Once completed, the QuEST Forum community will become an active part of TIA. Pajak will take an executive role within TIA, directly reporting to CEO Johnston.

Susan Johnson, Senior Vice President, Global Supply Chain, AT&T Services, remarked, "AT&T is a founding member of QuEST Forum and a longtime supporter of TIA. This merger will bring significant business opportunities to companies across our industry. Companies are quickly transforming, and industry organizations must also transform in ways that allow them to effectively address a full range of business, technology, policy and sustainability issues."

Additional details of the merger include:
- The TL 9000 standard is the telecom industry's unique extension to ISO 9001. The QuEST Forum community within TIA will continue to develop, implement and enhance the TL 9000 quality management system, along with sustainability standards and performance practices.
- Headquarters for the combined organization will be TIA's current location in Arlington, Virginia. The combined organization will continue to have an office in Plano, TX where most of the current QuEST Forum staff are based, as well as a QuEST Forum location in Shenzhen, China.
- The board of directors for both organizations will be combined into a single board.

More information on the merger can be found at www.tiaonline.org and www.questforum.org. The announcement was made at QuEST Forum's Americas Service Providers and Suppliers Summit being held in Dallas this week.

About TIA
The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) represents manufacturers and suppliers of global communications networks through standards development, policy and advocacy, business opportunities, market intelligence, and events and networking. 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. Visit tiaonline.org for more details. TIA is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and is a proud sponsor of ANSI's Standards Boost Business campaign.
TIA Contact: Susan Schramm [email protected]
Media Contact: Don Marshall [email protected]

About QuEST Forum
QuEST Forum is a global association of companies dedicated to impacting the quality and sustainability and customer experience of products and services in the ICT industry. As the voice of the industry, QuEST Forum provides forward-thinking companies a collaborative environment to positively impact business results and customer experience. TL 9000, the ICT quality management system, performance benchmarking and a broad array of common metrics support both the rapid industry adoption of new technologies and the consistent quality of communication networks around the world.
QuEST Forum Contact: Rebecca McVeigh [email protected]
Media Contact: Kevin Kohleriter [email protected]

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