Microsoft Corporation USA, Google USA and Telstra have quietly withdrawn financial support from Australia's leaderless peak internet industry body the Internet Industry Association. All three have confirmed they will not renew their financial memberships with the association. According to Telstra, the three opted not to renew their memberships during strategic reviews last year. It is understood Telstra allowed its membership to lapse in October. Google left the organisation last year. Microsoft said it did not renew its membership when it lapsed in January. IIA chairman Bruce Linn said the companies represented only three of more than 100 industry members. However, the IIA board calculates member fees based on their "relevant commercial interest" in the market, including revenue. Mr Linn conceded the association's board was seeking to address some issues that had arisen with its larger members but declined to comment in detail. "I'm not going to confirm or deny that we've lost all or any of those (members) but we certainly have had some issues with some of our large members over the past 12 months," Mr Linn said. "There are lots of circumstances surrounding that and the board is dealing with that. Optus and Vodafone Hutchison Australia said they were still financial members of the association. "Following a review of our strategic investments in industry associations it was determined that Microsoft Australia's priorities would be better served through alternative options," a Microsoft spokesman said. A Telstra spokeswoman said: "We reviewed our membership of a number of associations and organisations as part of our overall approach to simplifying the business and decided not to renew our IIA membership." Google said it remained committed to working with the Australian Information Industry Association and the Communications Alliance but that "after some years of membership, we decided to leave the IIA last year". The IIA last week renewed its search for a new chief executive to replace Peter Coroneos after former journalist and federal Treasury policy adviser Steve Burrell's 11th-hour decision not to take up the post. Mr Burrell was expected to start this week but The Australian understands that he decided instead to retain his position with the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Industry sources told The Australian that the institute had been "fighting hard to keep him" and that the IIA's recent loss of financial support played into his decision to stay put. Mr Linn refused to comment on the claim. Telstra's decision to withdraw its support comes in the wake of a scathing critique of the ICT sector by the telco's chief executive, David Thodey, at the inaugural Charles Todd Oration last week. Mr Thodey said the industry was going backwards in its efforts to work with educators, the private sector and multinational companies to foster innovation. He cited lack of collaboration among industry groups as one of the main reasons for the problem.
Source: The Australian
Source: The Australian
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