ESPA Gains Momentum with Affiliates
Feb 8, 2007 1:28 PM
On the heels of announcing affiliate agreements with CompTIA and Tweeter Home Entertainment Group, the Electronic Systems Professional Alliance (ESPA) has gained two more affiliates in the Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association (SBCA) and HDMI Licensing, LLC. ESPA Managing Director Deb Rolfes said the brand-new organization is gaining momentum and that a buzz about ESPA is making its way around the industry.
“Associations and businesses with a stake in a well-trained, certified electronic systems workforce are taking note of ESPA and applauding what we are trying to accomplish,” Rolfes said. “I think it is a positive indicator that seven organizations so far have come together to contribute to the effort, and I believe we will be announcing even more affiliates in the near term.”
SBCA, the national trade organization representing all segments of the satellite industry, and HDMI, the de facto industry standard for digitally connecting high definition CE components, join ESPA’s founding partners the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) and the National Systems Contractors Association (NSCA), bringing the cooperative effort to seven major organizations to date.
All seven organizations will participate in the development of the industry’s first universal education and certification program. The vision is for ESPA to serve as the foundation of a career-ready workforce for the electronic systems contracting industry. As HDMI Licensing recently reported over 500 HDMI adopters by the start of 2007, ESPA is pleased to significantly increase the number of potential beneficiaries from its efforts.
ESPA Affiliates will help standardize the terms, definitions and best practices of the electronic systems industry, and ensure broad-based inclusion of critical concepts for entry-level technicians in both commercial and residential disciplines. Affiliates will also be included in ESPA promotional activities as recognized leaders who are uniting the industry and providing long-term, credible solutions for education and certification.
“SBCA is committed to expanding the use of satellite technology and we believe that training the next generation of electronic systems technicians on satellite basics is a critical step for expansion,” said Patricia Sumler Executive Director of the SBCA. “As an ESPA Affiliate, SBCA will have the opportunity to influence newcomers to the industry and ensure that they can distinguish the myth from the fact regarding satellite broadcasting.”
“HDMI is the de facto standard for connecting high-definition consumer electronics devices, and we want to broadly communicate HDMI’s one-cable simplicity and the superior digital audio and video capabilities of the HDMI 1.3 specification,” said Leslie Chard, president of HDMI Licensing, LLC. “By contributing to the industry’s first universal training and certification program, we ensure that there is an entire work force in the marketplace that knows the essentials of the HDMI standard and can distinguish fact from fiction.”
ESPA anticipates rolling out its education/certification programs in the fourth quarter of 2007. For the latest news on ESPA developments visit www.espa.org.
Organizations and businesses interested in becoming ESPA Affiliates should contact ESPA Managing Director Deb Rolfes at 319-861-8622 or [email protected].
