Brian Scarpelli's blog

The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), the leading trade association for global manufacturers, vendors, and suppliers of information and communications technology (ICT), has watched with interest as regulators – both in the United States and around the world – have begun to examine how devices will be made smarter and more dynamic through Internet technologies, and related policy implications.

It has now been over two years since President Obama announced, during the 2013 State of the Union address, an Executive Order on improving infrastructure cybersecurity. The Executive Order, among other important directives, required the National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) to craft a voluntary Cybersecurity Framework, along with a roadmap for future areas that the Framework may explore.

There is generally widespread understanding that, in order to detect, prevent, and mitigate threats in cyberspace, the ability to share relevant information between and among industry and government stakeholders is a cornerstone to achieving timely, reliable, and actionable situational awareness, as well as better analysis and collaboration.

The community of information and communication technology (ICT) manufacturers, vendors and suppliers that TIA represents realizes the potential that the Internet of Things (IoT) holds across all segments of the global economy and the improvements in countless aspects of consumers' and businesses' everyday activities.

The community of information and communication technology (ICT) manufacturers, vendors and suppliers that TIA represents realizes the potential that the Internet of Things holds across all segments of the global economy and the improvements in countless aspects of consumers' and businesses' everyday activities.

Across stakeholders, the need for robust procedures, policies, and systems in place to protect our most sensitive information is increasingly being recognized. Growing cybersecurity threats make it more important than ever for collaboration between private and public interests to comprehensively evaluate and address evolving threats to information security.

Recently, the Department of Health and Human Service's Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requested input on proposed Medicare program revisions to payment policies under the Physician Fee Schedule, Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule, and other revisions to Part B for calendar year 2015. Despite its intimidating title, this rulemaking is extremely important.

Over this last weekend, the United States celebrated the 24th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This landmark law that significantly improved life for people with disabilities by prohibiting discrimination towards those with disabilities, and guaranteeing equal opportunities in employment, State and local government services, public accommodations, commercial facilities and transportation.

TIA aims to promote process improvements that will decrease both the cost and time‐to‐market for equipment manufacturers, ultimately benefiting the end‐user with quicker access to devices at lower costs.