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The Mass Technology Leadership Council, Inc. (MassTLC), and the Massachusetts Network Communications Council, Inc., (MassNetComms), announced they would combine forces to create the state’s leading business association for driving innovation, entrepreneurship, and company growth across the Commonwealth’s technology sector.

“We’re creating a single, ‘go-to council’ for the technology industry,” said Steve O’Leary, chairman of the Mass Technology Leadership Council. “This newly combined organization will have the scope and scale to help spur growth in such traditional areas as communications, computing, networking and software, and in emerging growth segments like mobile, cloud computing, digital games, robotics, video and social media.”

The combined organization, which will be known as the Mass Technology Leadership Council (MassTLC), will bring some of the world’s top global technology brands – including AT&T, Cisco, Comcast, Google, IBM, Microsoft and Verizon – under one tent with some of the region’s fastest growing mid-sized companies and high impact, growth oriented entrepreneurs. Together, the membership represents the entire technology landscape from infrastructure to application and is responsible some of the most remarkable innovations taking place in the Commonwealth.

“These companies are a major part of the Massachusetts economy today,” said Steve Krom, chairman of MassNetComms and vice president and general manager of AT&T for the New England region. “Working together we can help Massachusetts seize a disproportionate share of the new tech investment and spending that will come as the global economy enters recovery.”

The combination of MassTLC and MassNetComms will yield the largest and most diverse technology business association in New England, supporting more than 500 member organizations, including not only technology companies but technology divisions of major corporations, venture capitalists, educational institutions and a breadth of service providers. Its expertise will be multidimensional, ranging from deep infrastructure to end-user applications and from the technologist to the consumer.

“This partnership is exactly what we need to see more of,” said Governor Patrick. “Collaboration and focus in the tech sector and elsewhere is the way to meet today's economic challenges.”

“As a major technology buyer in the region, I am excited about the combination of the two Councils,” said Mary Finlay, Deputy CIO of Partners HealthCare. “It is incredibly helpful to have a single organization where I can explore new technologies and connect with fellow leaders across technology sectors.”

“We are excited to be bringing our entrepreneurial communities together,” said James Geshwiler, Chair of the MassTLC’s Entrepreneurial Cluster and Managing Director of CommonAngels. “With so much innovation occurring in mobile computing and communications, entrepreneurs will benefit from a broader range of resources to help them grow their companies.”

The combination comes at a critical point in time when the state, its leaders, its companies and its citizens are looking with renewed vigor to technology innovation as a crucial driver for the economy.

“Our decision to join together and build scale in a single organization comes at an important moment in time,” said Tom Hopcroft, President & CEO of the Mass Technology Leadership Council. “By combining, we do more to build a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem, invest in workforce development, and foster a business climate that supports the growth of technology companies.”

“The combined Council will build upon the shared goals of each organization,” said Mark Horan, Executive Director of the Mass Network Communications Council. “As a driver of innovation, the organization will contribute more significantly to economic recovery and regional prosperity.”

The first major event of the combined organization will be the MassTLC Awards Banquet on Thursday, November 5^th, honoring BBN Technologies founder Leo Beranek, AVID Technologies founder Bill Warner, and nine other executives and organizations.

A special landing page with complete information and links related to the combination is available at www.masstlc.org/massnetcomms. The leaders of both organizations have also posted thoughts online at blog.masstlc.org and www.massnetcomms.org.