The new lobby for the US computer industry (CI No 1,205) has now formally been incorporated, bringing togetehr a group of major manufacturers in an industry coalition to develop and communicate public policy recommendations aimed at ensuring the long-term competitiveness of US systems makers. The organisation, the Computer Systems Policy Project, includes Apple Computer, Compaq Computer, Cray Research, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, NCR, Sun Microsystems, Tandem Computers, and Unisys. Among the competitiveness issues the group expects to address are legislation related to research and manufacturing consortia, cost of capital, trade policy (including the US-Japan Semiconductor Trade Agreement that did so much to hurt manufacturers) and public schooling. The Policy Project will also look at how individual company commitments, or collective company actions, could help the creation of a long-term strategy for the competitiveness of US systems makers. The Project was designed to complement the work of existing associations, such as the American Electronics Association, the Computer and Business Equipment Manufacturers Association and the Semiconductor Industry Association – in other words, members of the Project feel that these existing bodies let them down over the US-Japan chip trade agreement, and don’t intend to let anything like that happen again. The chief executives or presidents of the Project’s companies will meet occasionally to approve programmes and policies developed collectively by their government relations representatives. All levels of company management, including chief executives, are expected to be actively involved in delivering policy recommendations to government officials. The Project is open exclusively to US-owned computer systems makers and additional US computer makers may join in the future. It is based in Washington and is seeking a director to administer and help implement its aims.
