Software CEOs Urge Administration, Congress to Make Pro-Innovation Policies a Top Priority

Washington, DC – June 3 2009

Software and computers are contributing mightily to reviving the US economy and meeting US needs, and considering those contributions, the Obama Administration and Congress should continue to make pro-innovation policies a top priority.

That is the message being delivered today by a group of 10 chief executives of some of the world’s leading software companies, who are in Washington for a round of meetings with top officials in the Obama Administration and Congress. 

“At a time of economic uncertainty, it’s a reliable fact that software drives productivity, innovation, and resilience in every business and every economic sector,” said BSA President and CEO Robert Holleyman. “Information technology is also at the heart of dealing with critical national priorities such as health care, energy, and manufacturing, and e-government. Policy decisions in each of these areas have the potential to create major opportunities – or challenges – for the US-led software industry.” 

“BSA-sponsored research shows the United States still provides the best environment in the world for innovation and IT competitiveness, but other nations are competing vigorously to close the gap,” Holleyman added. “For all these reasons, the Administration and Congress must continue to push forward on a comprehensive, pro-innovation policy agenda.”

During the BSA CEO Forum, the executives will meet with top policy makers including:

• Hon. Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Homeland Security;
• Hon. Ron Kirk, US Trade Representative;
• Hon. Dr. John Holdren, Director, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy;
• Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee; 
• Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), one of BSA’s 2008 Cyber Champions;
• Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee;
• Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and another of BSA’s 2008 Cyber Champions;
• Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee;
• Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN), Chairman of the House Science and Technology Committee; and
• Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-NY), Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

Among the issues the CEOs will discuss with policy makers are cyber security; intellectual property and patent reform; global trade; corporate tax policy; e-government and IT procurement policy; education and workforce skills; and high-tech research and development. 

The chief executives attending the forum represent some of the world’s leading software companies: 

• Shantanu Narayen, President and Chief Executive Officer, Adobe Systems, San Jose, Calif.;
• Greg Bentley, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Bentley Systems, Exton, Penn.;
• Jeff Ray, Chief Executive Officer, Dassault Systemes Solidworks Corporation, Concord, Mass.;
• Steven A. Ballmer, Chief Executive Officer, Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Wash.;
• Ray Schiavone, President and CEO, Quark Inc., Denver, Colo.; 
• Tom Adams, President and Chief Executive Officer, Rosetta Stone Ltd., Arlington, Va.;
• Anthony Affuso, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Siemens PLM Software, Plano, Texas;
• John Chen, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President, Sybase, Inc., Dublin, Calif.;
• John W. Thompson, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Symantec Corporation, Cupertino, Calif.; and
• Jack Little, President and Chief Executive Officer, The MathWorks, Inc., Natick, Mass.

The BSA CEO Forum is also the occasion for the US rollout of BSA’s new “Solutions” campaign, an effort to highlight how software and information technology are woven into the fabric of daily life and contribute solutions to America’s most critical national challenges. The campaign includes:

• An informational Web site, ;
• BSA’s new Solutions magazine, which tells the story of what it takes to generate innovative software solutions;
• BSA Solutions Case Studies, concise profiles illustrating how software companies are addressing critical national needs;
• BSA’s 2009 US Technology Policy Agenda (previously released).   

Software is a major contributor to the US economy and is relied upon by virtually every business and economic sector. The worldwide PC software market was $88 billion in 2008, representing 30% of the total packaged software market, which was $297 billion. Approximately 60 percent of global spending on PC software flows to US-based companies. The United States is by far the greatest user of IT in the world, a competitive advantage that contributes to high US productivity. BSA’s publicly traded member companies spent nearly $43 billion on research and development in 2008 -- an amount equal to 7.1% of those companies’ combined revenues; and many of BSA’s member companies invested double or triple that percentage, making the software sector one of the greatest investors in the future success of the US and global economy.

“President Obama and Congressional leaders have shown a solid understanding that IT offers an enormous array of solutions to the challenges facing our nation and world,” Holleyman said. “But experience shows that we must not be complacent in promoting America’s leading industries. We are here to work with all parties to ensure that the technology sector can maximize its contributions to economic growth and social progress.”

About BSA

The Business Software Alliance (www.bsa.org) is the voice of the world's commercial software industry and its hardware partners before governments and in the international marketplace.  Its members represent one of the fastest growing industries in the world.  BSA programs foster technology innovation through education and policy initiatives that promote copyright protection, cyber security, trade and e-commerce.  BSA members include Adobe, Apple, Autodesk, Bentley Systems, CA, Cadence, Cisco Systems, Corel, CyberLink, Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corporation, Dell, Embarcadero, HP, IBM, Intel, Intuit, McAfee, Microsoft, Minitab, Quark, Quest Software, Rosetta Stone, SAP, Siemens, Sybase, Symantec, and The MathWorks.

Media Contact

Lars Anderson
media@bsa.org
202-715-1511

Dale Curtis
dalec@bsa.org
202-530-5136