Ottawa, January 22, 2004… A super-group with a combined membership of some 25,000 professionals has been formed by a merger between Canada’s most reputable Information Technology (I.T.) user’s group and the industry’s largest trade association. Describing it as a ‘natural and fundamental partnership’, spokespersons for the Society of Collaborative Opportunities and Advancement of Professionals (SCOAP) and the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATA) stated today that bringing the two communities together would result in a better fit between user needs and product specifications, plus an acceleration in development time. This will lead to an enhancement in the value of Canadian I.T. products that will enrich both Canadian society and the country’s place in the global economy, according to SCOAP President and CEO Andrew Moffat.

“Linking our most knowledgeable user’s group to the industry suppliers of technology solutions will tighten the evaluation cycle for products and services and make them more relevant for users,” said Mr. Moffat, who is also founder and CEO of Educom TS Inc. “SCOAP members are recognized as the community that defines the value of the technology to the user. SCOAP’s methodology for assessing the value to users of technology is generally acknowledged to be the best in Canada; perhaps in North America. SCOAP does the evaluation for both the prestigious GTEC (Government Technology Exhibition and Conference) Federal Government Distinction Awards, for instance, and the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI) award process. Now, this expertise will be available full-time to Canadian industry.”

“CATA can help SCOAP expand fully across Canada,” indicated CATA President John Reid. “We have a strong advocacy capability, and will move the agenda forward for the user’s community. Combining our resources will also give us an expanded ability to tackle new projects and provide new services — services that will result from the synergy of users working with producers.”

Gregory Evanik, SCOAP Co-Chair and Chair, OCRI Awards Committee, stated that the merger “brings a balance to both sides of the table. Focusing on the users, SCOAP knows how to evaluate the impact of technology on society. That has been the focus of our organization for 16 years. And for the past 25 years, CATA has created the energy and the solid base that we can use to take SCOAP national. CATA has links to municipal and provincial organizations, which offers us access to another wealth of expert and knowledgeable people. These two groups are the most reputable organizations in the field — the ’seasoned players’ of our economy. We are looking forward to a number of new initiatives as a result of this partnership.”

Mr. Moffat stated that he had two priorities for SCOAP in the coming year: to add more of an industry perspective to SCOAP activities, and to start new Web-based services to bring the community closer together. “We can bring our user-evaluation expertise to the help of industry, perhaps by starting a similar type of Award program as we have for GTEC. We are looking into the creation of “Best Implementation” and “People’s Choice” awards, for example, based on criteria such as ease-of-use, achieving desired results, and return on investment.

“We will also use CATA’s resources to enhance our use of electronic communications, by starting a Web-accessible archive of “best practices” from previous award-winning case studies, so all Canadians can see how I.T. can make its most meaningful impacts on their lives. We can also start an e-newsletter, creating an Intranet community of exemplary users. CATA has the expertise to make it happen; SCOAP has the instant community of domain expertise.”

“SCOAP was formed to explore and assess the impact of information and technology in the knowledge-based society, said CATA Executive Director Barry Gander. “Today we have a paramount need for this kind of judgment. Knowledge is doubling every 17 hours in our science-driven world. The expertise of SCOAP professionals can help us keep pace, by understanding the value of these developments.”

Mr. Moffat is currently a member of the CATA Board of Directors; Mr. Evanik joins the CATA Board immediately. Under the merger agreement, SCOAP will integrate its operations with CATA, and move its office to the CATA headquarters. SCOAP will continue to have its own Board of Directors, and will expand its work on the meaning and impact of I.T. while gaining new authority for communications and advocacy.

Recent Entries

• What to look for a move
• Manufacturing in mexico
• SCOAP AWARDS
• BestDining.com Launches as the World’s Largest Dining Directory
• IC : THE ULTIMATE RENEWABLE RESOURCE
• Genuine Style
• 1998 AWARD OF EXCELLENCE NOMINEES
• Direct Buy Locations – Fort (Ft) Lauderdale, Florida - FL
• SCOAPs ANNUAL AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE
• Direct Buy Locations – Brooklyn & Queens, Woodside, New York - NY

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009 at 10:00 am and is filed under Media and Events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.