AREA, JDF, 3MF Consortium, Alliance for Open Media, USI

WAKEFIELD, MA, Sep 16, 2015 – Virtual, Inc., a leading technology-focused association management company, announced the recent successful launches of five cutting-edge groups: the Augmented Reality for the Enterprise Alliance (AREA), Joint Development Foundation, 3MF Consortium, Alliance for Open Media, and Universal Stylus Initiative (USI).

Virtual has assisted with the formation and successful launch of dozens of new initiatives. For the five recently launched organizations, the team at Virtual provided a range of customized services, including strategic advice and counsel, infrastructure development, membership services, and communications and public relations expertise.

• The AREA is a global member-based organization focusing on accelerating augmented reality (AR) adoption through development and expansion of a vibrant technology ecosystem. Though AR for the enterprise offers great promise, few programs exist to help organizations navigate the many uncharted integration challenges. The AREA is the first group to address these needs – it launched in May 2015 with 16 founding members.

• The Joint Development Foundation (JDF), an organization that enables smaller standards and source code development collaborations to form quickly and efficiently through a turnkey legal and operational infrastructure, was unveiled to the public with its first project, 3MF, in May.
• The initial project capitalizing on the JDF’s quick-start offerings is the 3MF Consortium. Seven leading companies in the global 3D printing sector used the JDF’s simple and convenient pre-packaged structure to complete and deliver a new 3D printing specification and publicly launch the organization within a very short window of time. Membership quickly increased to 11.
• A second project, the Alliance for Open Media, is an open-source initiative that will develop next-generation media formats, codecs and technologies in the public interest. Founded by seven household-name technology companies, it was launched early in September.

• Prominent OEMs, stylus and touch controller manufacturers came together to create Universal Stylus Initiative (USI), a new organization formed to develop and promote an industry specification for an active stylus. The USI specification will make it possible for manufacturers to design products to a single standard. The 12 members at launch have since grown to 31.

Virtual currently has a staff of 100-plus professionals in the U.S., Canada and Europe, who deliver services ranging from finance/accounting and membership development to marketing, strategic planning, program management and certification. These services enable the long-term success of mature client organizations, as well as the launch and growth phases of new initiatives.

Virtual is differentiated from other association management companies by its senior team’s expertise, its deep standards experience, its technology and marketing savvy, its emphasis on best practices, and its development of innovative association services packages. Additional information about all the services that Virtual provides to its clients is available at www.virtualmgmt.com/solutions-association-management-services/.

About Virtual, Inc.

Founded in 1999, Virtual is the leading technology-focused association management company, combining advanced systems, industry best practices and innovation to give smaller and mid-sized associations world-class business operations. They work with technology industry trade associations, standard-setting organizations, industry alliances, professional societies, consortia and forums, providing the full gamut of operational services from strategic counsel to back-office operations.

Virtual was named to The Boston Globe’s “Top Places to Work” list, and the firm has been named three times to Inc. Magazine’s list of 5000 fastest-growing private companies. Virtual is accredited by the AMC Institute, the global trade group that represents the association management industry.

For more information about Virtual, Inc., visit www.virtualmgmt.com, or call +1 781-246-0500.