| January 3, 2000 Secretary
To Whom It May Concern: I was pleased to learn that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will be looking more closely at online privacy issues with the creation of the new Advisory Committee on Access and Security. The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) has long been involved in online privacy issues, and we are eager to work closely with the FTC to ensure that we maintain an open dialogue with the Administration on these crucial issues. The issue of online privacy is critical to our 1400 member companies. Our companies are involved in every aspect of electronic commerce, from using the Internet as a distribution channel for their own products to creating the products that make e-commerce possible. Our companies develop goods and services for the consumer, education, corporate and Internet markets, representing both the market leaders of today as well as the emerging companies shaping the digital economy of tomorrow. To that end, I am pleased to nominate Lauren Hall, SIIA's Executive Vice President, to serve on the Advisory Committee. Lauren has led SIIA’s broad privacy initiatives, including our well-regarded seminar series designed to teach companies how to write effective privacy policies. She has delivered this seminar in more than a dozen cities in the last year, working with hundreds of companies to develop robust privacy practices. A copy of the seminar workbook she authored is included for your review. Beginning last fall, she spearheaded SIIA’s ongoing outreach campaign to ensure that all SIIA member companies address consumer privacy concerns effectively, openly and comprehensively. An expert in electronic commerce, security, online privacy and digital authentication, she authored SIIA's publication Code, Content and Commerce: SIIA's Vision for the Digital Future. In addition, Lauren has been active in the privacy-related work of a number of international fora, including working closely with the OECD on its privacy policy generator project. With her extensive technical experience in the private sector, I think that she will make an excellent addition to the Advisory Committee. Enclosed please find additional information about her background and experience, our association and our membership. Should you need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me at 202-452-1600 extension 310. Thank you again for the opportunity to work with the FTC on these important issues. We look forward to being able to contribute to your ongoing efforts. Sincerely, Ken Wasch Enclosures (3)
The Software & Information Industry Association The Software and Information Industry Association is the principal trade association for the software and digital content industry. SIIA provides global services in government relations, business development, corporate education and intellectual property protection to the leading companies that are setting the pace for the digital age. Mission
History and Membership SIIA was formed by the January 1, 1999 merger of the Software Publishers Association (SPA) and Information Industry Association (IIA). SIIA's membership draws primarily from the software and information content markets. Our 1400 members represent every segment of the digital marketplace – from market leaders to emerging businesses, our companies develop products for the consumer, education, home, corporate, enterprise and Internet markets. More importantly, our members are engaged in virtually every aspect of electronic commerce, from creating the products that make e-commerce possible to leveraging e-commerce to market, sell, support and develop their product lines. SIIA is a global organization with approximately 200 member companies outside of the United States, the vast majority of which are subsidiaries of U.S. companies. Our international activities are developed at the direction of our regional boards. Each board is comprised of representatives of member companies operating in a given region. Currently, we have active boards in Europe and Canada, with planned expansion into Latin America and Asia-Pacific in the coming year. Programs and Services SIIA offers its members valuable services in three key areas: advocacy, member programs and member services. Our advocacy programs include government affairs and anti-piracy services. Our public policy efforts cover all critical issues affecting the code and information content industry. In addition, we assist our member companies in protecting their intellectual property through anti-piracy enforcement and education. Our government affairs department aggressively represents SIIA member companies on a wide variety of issues – electronic commerce, online privacy, encryption, digital signatures, domain names, intellectual property protection, education technology and workforce development. In addition, our specialized tax and finance policy advocacy ensures that our companies are actively engaged in key policy discussions even as their businesses grow at breakneck speeds. SIIA public policy issues are developed through the Government Affairs Council. SIIA member programs, as the primary fora for regular member interaction, provide companies the opportunity to address issues of particular concern in a given market or operational area. We provide a neutral business venue where companies worldwide can identify, discuss and resolve challenges facing the industry. This interactive process drives the development of tools that help ensure success in today’s evolving market, including the development of business resources, member education activities and interactive forums for networking and market development. Member programs are developed and managed through our market divisions. Divisions enable member companies to collectively define market-based needs and issues. Current divisions include Content, Education, Enterprise, Financial Information Services, Global and Internet, as well as cross-divisional working groups, a comprehensive research program and the Executive Forum. Finally, SIIA member services help companies succeed through conferences, seminars, networking events, publications and industry public relations. Lauren Hall Lauren Hall serves as the Executive Vice President for SIIA. In this role, Ms. Hall is the primary technical advisor for the association and lobbies on a wide range of electronic commerce issues, including online privacy, encryption, Internet governance, telecommunications and digital signature issues. She speaks regularly on electronic commerce issues in an effort to educate and explain technological developments to policymakers in Washington and around the world. In addition, Hall oversees SIIA Member Programs for each of its market divisions, the Executive Forum and the industry research department. Her involvement in SIIA programs ensures that she remains in touch with the business issues that affect SIIA companies, allowing her to more effectively represent their interests on public policy issues. Prior to SIIA, Hall served in a similar position with the Software Publishers Association. She joined SPA in January, 1997 as the chief technologist, providing technical direction and lobbying support for the government affairs department. Hall chaired SPA's electronic commerce working group and authored of the association's Code, Content and Commerce: SPA's Vision for the Digital Future and Competition in the Network Market: The Microsoft Challenge Ms. Hall’s background includes extensive technical and public policy experience. Prior to joining SPA, Hall served as the executive vice president and treasurer for NSNL, Inc., a Washington DC-based network consulting firm, where she specialized in systems integration and workflow management. Her experience includes systems management, network design and implementation, project management, web design and implementation and custom solutions development. Hall has also worked for the United Nations, serving as the Congressional Liaison for the Secretary-General. She began her career on Capitol Hill, spending five years with Representative Jim Cooper as a legislative assistant handling telecommunications, trade and defense public policy issues. Hall holds a dual M.A. from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and a B.A. from Smith College. |