CompTIA Applauds President Obama's Call for a Year of Action on Economic Opportunity

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Jan 29, 2014, 01:19 ET

IT industry is principal engine of economy that creates opportunity

WASHINGTON, Jan. 29, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following statement about President Barack Obama's State of the Union address Tuesday evening was issued by Todd Thibodeaux, president and chief executive officer of CompTIA, the leading non-profit association for the information technology (IT) industry.

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"An across the board economic opportunity plan that would make 2014 a year of action was an overarching theme of the State of the Union Address. That's welcome news for the nation's IT industry, whose products, services and people create the engine that drives opportunities for so many other Americans.

"America's IT industry employs more than 5.7 million workers in both technical and non-technical jobs. Additionally, more than 4.7 million workers are employed in IT departments across businesses in every U.S. industry in the economy – from a CIO at a hospital to a help desk specialist at a hotel.

"The President is right on point when he notes that 'the nation that goes all-in on innovation today will own the global economy tomorrow.' Many of the actions the President is calling for are welcomed by all of us who support a continued path toward greater innovation and opportunity, including:

More federal funding for research
Common-sense patent reform that lets businesses focus on innovation, not litigation.
Continuing support for skills-based education
Retaining the best and brightest through immigration reform

"In just two weeks, 100 tech executives and CEOs of state tech associations will gather in Washington D.C. for the TechVoice D.C. Fly-In. We'll be supporting policies that advance the growth of small and medium-sized technology firms.

"In particular, TechVoice will urge Congress to pass common sense patent litigation reform that allows our industry to stay focused on innovation, not costly, needless litigation. We welcome the President's full-throated support for this outcome. These are the policies that will surely advance the opportunities the President envisions."

About CompTIA
CompTIA is the voice of the world's information technology (IT) industry. Its members are the companies at the forefront of innovation; and the professionals responsible for maximizing the benefits organizations receive from their investments in technology. CompTIA is dedicated to advancing industry growth through educational programs, market research, networking events, professional certifications and public policy advocacy. Visit http://www.comptia.org/home.aspx, http://www.facebook.com/CompTIA and twitter.com/comptia to learn more.

SOURCE CompTIA