BCS takes comms on board

The convergence of voice and data has been replicated at an industry association level as the Communications Management Association (CMA) prepares to be absorbed into the British Computer Society (BCS).

The CMA, which boasts 1,600 members from large UK enterprises and suppliers such as Cisco and Dimension Data, will become an independent subsidiary of the 60,000-member BCS, pending shareholder approval later this month.

“As the telecoms and IT disciplines come closer, it makes sense for our associations to do the same,” said Glenn Powel, chief executive of the CMA.

Powel said the merger will take place at a time when “both organisations are strong”.

“Most City organisations have completed the convergence of IT and communications, which now all comes under the IT department,” he said.

The CMA is also taking in members of the Communications and Information Technology Association (CITA), a body for technology suppliers, which ceased trading last month.

“We’re not picking over the CITA’s bones, but if their members do wish to join another organisation, we will enable them to come closer to the end-user community, which they would not get elsewhere,” Powel said.

Alan Bullen, director of CITA and managing director of VAR Lynx Networks, admitted the CITA’s “final blow” came when Cisco and Microsoft left a few months ago. “Joining the CMA will help members because it has links with end-users,” he said.

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