Software & Information Industry Association Welcomes Clinton Administration Decision On Encryption; Says Move Is Significant Break-Through For High-Tech Industry

Business Wire, Sept 16, 1999

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 16, 1999--

The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), the leading trade association for the software code and information content industry, today welcomed the announcement by the White House that the Clinton Administration is lifting most export restrictions on encryption products.

Speaking from the SIIA Annual Conference in Toronto, the chief technology officer for the association, Lauren Hall, said today's news represented a significant break-through for the American high-technology industry in its endeavors to maintain a global competitive advantage.

"The Administration's decision was met with great approval from industry movers-and-shakers present at our conference when it was announced during today's conference lunch. It has been a long time coming, but the White House has finally recognized what industry has consistently advocated: remove export restrictions on encryption products and allow American business to compete - or face the consequences," Hall said.

"While we will be carefully watching how this unfolds, as the devil is always in the details, today's announcement is very good news for our industry. We congratulate the Clinton administration - and Vice President Gore in particular for recognizing that the export restriction policies were outdated and harmful to high-technology. With current estimates projecting $20 billion in global sales of encryption products by the year 2002, and more than 1,600 encryption products available from more than 900 companies in 30 countries, the Vice President today gave American business a significant boost."

"As the leading trade association for the software and information industry, the lifting of these export restrictions has been a top priority for the past two years. Both publicly, with testimony in front of Congressional committees, and privately, in one-on-one negotiations with Administration officials, we have pressed the encryption case on behalf of our member companies. We are delighted to see the results of our work come to successful fruition," Hall said.

The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) is the principal trade association of the software code and information content industry. SIIA represents more than 1,400 leading high-tech companies that develop and market software and electronic content for business, education, consumers and the Internet.

SIIA was formed on Jan. 1, 1999, as a result of the merger between the Software Publishers Association (SPA) and the Information Industry Association (IIA). Information on SIIA and its wide-range of activities can be found at www.siia.net.