Fresh on the heels of the SOTU, SIIA President Ken Wasch gives his predictions for our members in the year ahead.
SOTU address emphasizes key IT industry priorities
January 31, 2011 By
With the heavy focus on job creation and innovation in the President’s SOTU address last week, it was no surprise that several priority issues for the IT industry also received a shout-out from the President as key National priorities.
Consistent with the sentiment on Capitol Hill, the President emphasized the need for tax reform. While it was reassuring to hear his call for a lowering of the corporate tax rate, he also called for this to be offset by closing “loop-holes.” The devil is always in the details of the definition of a “loop-hole,” as this term has frequently been used to refer to tax incentives that help U.S. companies compete globally.
The President also reiterated the need for a bipartisan effort to finalize the Columbia, Panama and Korea trade agreements. Keeping with the innovation theme but taking efforts to steer clear of hot-button term like the H-1B visa, the President renewed the call for immigration reform that keeps “talented, responsible young people” in the U.S. to meet our critical workforce needs. As timing would have it, the H-1B cap for FY 2011 was met on Friday, just days after the speech.
And in what might have seemed like a direct nod to SIIA and some of its members–who were in New York discussing the transition from “wired to wireless” at the Information Industry Summit (IIS)–the President called for wireless connectivity to be provided to 98 percent of the country over the next five years. Given the discussions at IIS re: the tremendous growth in the wireless market, this would provide even more demand for mobile applications and content delivery over the next five years.
With the dust now settled on the SOTU, we’ll continue to keep you posted as these and other key priorities play out in the weeks ahead.
For more SIIA policy updates, including upcoming events, news and analysis, subscribe to the Digital Policy Roundup, SIIA’s weekly policy email newsletter.
SIIA CEO Interview with Bill Loss, SaaShr.com
January 7, 2011 By
What will the software industry look like in 3, 5, even 10 years from now? And what customer demands and business trends will drive changes in software products, how they’re developed, and the industry that provides them?
Given the dynamics of innovation and ever-changing user landscape, in many ways it’s difficult to predict what the software industry will look like in 3 years let alone 5 or 10 years. With this said, however, here are some thoughts for consideration.
Security: Security will ultimately be linked more often to an individual’s biometric markers. The trend continues towards multi-factor authentication where both physical and virtual considerations prevail. As advancements in security technology are achieved, cyber criminals will also continue to advance and keep this segment of the software industry ever-changing.
Private, Public and/or Hybrid Clouds: The existence of all three may very well be a reality for years to come. With most business decisions, associated risk must be well balanced with specific technology advancements to determine appropriate IT decisions. When it comes to private and public clouds, attention will remain focused around the sensitivity of intellectual property and related data which is collected, processed and stored. [Read more...]
Top 11 SIIA Moments of 2010
December 29, 2010 By
SIIA branched out in 2010. We met dozens of new members, spearheaded new events and initiatives, and contributed new research to the industries we serve. Looking back on 2010, it’s exciting to see how much SIIA — and the entire digital landscape — grew and evolved in one year.
Here are our favorite SIIA moments from 2010:
- The intellectual property team filed an amicus brief in a U.S. Supreme Court case that led to one of the most important IP decisions of the decade. Bilski v. Kappos addressed the question of which things and activities are eligible for patents. SIIA’s brief argued that software should remain eligible for patent protection–and due to the decision, it will continue to be.
- The education and policy teams launched a new initiative based on the Personalized Learning movement, which advocates a flexible, project-based educational system. SIIA hosted a symposium on the model in August, and used the findings to create a groundbreaking report in partnership with the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the Council of Chief State School Officers.
- The Software Division spearheaded a report which revealed some welcome news: small and midsize software companies are emerging from the recession stronger than ever. Revenues grew about 15 percent from 2008 to 2009, with even higher growth coming from small SaaS firms, says the report, developed in partnership with OPEXEngine.
- The globetrotting Financial Information Services Division (FISD) held meetings on five continents last Spring. For the first time, they hosted events in Dubai and Brazil. Both meetings attracted over 100 financial industry players, who hashed out the challenges and opportunities facing global financial markets. [Read more...]
Free Download: Improve Your Mobile Learning ROI
December 20, 2010 By
Get the 2010 Mobile Education Tech Trends Whitepaper
Are you refining your mobile strategy to improve ROI in the rapidly changing K-20 market? Are you just starting out, or are you looking to learn more about the mobile learning landscape? Get answers with our free whitepaper.
Questions answered in this FREE sample report include:
- What new mobile business models will emerge over the next five years?
- What are the next mobile application trends in K-20?
- WIIFY: What’s in it for you, the software publisher?
- What is the future of the mobile device in education?
- Laptops, cell phones, tablets, smartbooks: Which mobile devices should you develop applications for?
The Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA) respects your privacy. We will not sell or trade your email address for any reason unless we have written authorization from you.
Roger Green, CIOZone.com, at SIIA All About Mobile
November 22, 2010 By
Roger Green from CIOZone.com talks about his experience learning and networking at SIIA All About Mobile 2010!