WAKEFIELD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Virtual, Inc., the leading technology-focused association management company, announced today the signing of five of the most innovative associations in the technology disciplines of blockchain, identity management, open source software, Internet learning and digital encoding.

The new Virtual clients include: Enterprise Ethereum Alliance (EEA); IDPRo, Internet of Learning Consortium (IOLC); Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) and the Text Encoding Initiative Consortium (TEI). Virtual will provide these associations a range of customized services including strategic advice and counsel, infrastructure development, membership services, and communications and public relations guidance and expertise.

"Virtual is providing the strategic and operational resources these associations need to be successful," said Andy Freed, president and CEO. "Some are advancing industry standards; others are working to gain consensus on an emerging technology like blockchain, or pioneering an open source solution. Whatever the association's goal, Virtual has the team and services to make it a reality."

About the Associations

• Enterprise Ethereum Alliance (EEA) connects Fortune 500 enterprises, startups, academics, and technology vendors with Ethereum subject matter experts. Together, they learn from and build upon the only smart contract supporting blockchain currently running in real-world production – Ethereum – to define enterprise-grade software capable of handling the most complex, highly demanding applications at the speed of business.
• IDPro is a new association for identity management professionals with more than 400 industry professionals already pledged to join the group. IDPro is an open, global, non-profit industry association that aims to help define, support, and improve the digital identity profession globally through knowledge sharing, mentoring, education, and certification.
• Internet of Learning Consortium (IOLC) was founded to ensure that the technical skills students and employees learn are the ones industry needs and are hiring for, now, and in the future. The IOLC is an independent non-profit backed by major industry players, non-profits, and universities who collaborate to create an engine that defines the skills needed for technical roles, to put curriculum in market, hire and advance people who complete the learning and measure the outcomes.
• Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) was formed by the world’s leading mobile operators, device and network suppliers, information technology companies and content providers as the industry focal point for the development of mobile service enabler specifications. OMA is a non-profit organization that delivers open specifications for creating interoperable services that work across all geographical boundaries, on any bearer network. OMA’s specifications support the billions of new and existing terminals across a variety of wireless networks, including traditional cellular operator networks and emerging networks supporting machine-to-machine device communications for the Internet of Things (IoT).
• The Text Encoding Initiative Consortium (TEI) is an international non-profit organization whose mission is to develop and maintain guidelines for the digital encoding of literary and linguistic texts. The Consortium publishes the Text Encoding Initiative Guidelines for Electronic Text Encoding and Interchange, an international and interdisciplinary standard that is widely used by libraries, museums, publishers, and individual scholars to represent all kinds of textual material for online research and teaching.

Virtual has over 100 professionals across the globe delivering services ranging from finance/accounting, membership development, 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.

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. We work with technology industry trade associations, standard-setting organizations, industry alliances, professional societies, consortia and forums, providing the full gamut of 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 sole accrediting body for association management companies. For more information about Virtual, Inc., visit www.virtualmgmt.com,or call +1 781-246-0500.