Profile: Association of Information Technology Professionals

In 1951 Chicago, a group of machine accountants got together and decided that the future was only beginning for the TAB machines they were operating. They were members of a local group called the Machine Accountants Association (MAA). The technology was new; something few people understood and managing this new technology was a skill that even fewer people possessed. The machine accountants recognized the need to form a professional support group, a national association, to address the growing issues of this new technology. Thus on December 26, 1951, after a constitutional convention was held in Chicago, the State of Illinois granted a charter and the National Machine Accountants Association (NMAA) was founded.

As the industry has evolved, so has the association. Starting as the NMAA, evolving into the DPMA, and then into our current evolution in 1996 of the ASSOCIATION of INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONALS (AITP), the association has kept pace with the changing needs and interests of our members. AITP members span every level of the IT industry from mainframe systems, to micro systems, to PC based LAN and WAN systems, to virtual systems and the internet. AITP has special niches created that cater to the special interests of our members. Our members are found in every facet of society as well. They're in colleges and universities; banking; industry; retail; the armed forces; local, state and federal governments; hospitals; etc.

To learn more about AITP, visit AITP's history page

AITP IS...

• A pioneer in its field for the implementation of CIS curricula in secondary schools, two and four-year colleges.
• A source of continuing education for IS professionals and the general public.
• An advisor to government and industry regarding new and existing legislative issues.
• A growing network of chapters and special interest groups through which knowledge and ideas are freely exchanged.
• The creator of the Certificate of Data Processing (CDP) now administered under the ICCP.

Who are aitp Members?

Each individual member belongs to a Chapter. There are chapters grouped in regions throughout the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico.

Membership includes, but is not limited to:

• IS managers
• Programming-systems designers
• Systems engineers
• Sales/marketing managers
• Educators
• Consultants
• Researchers
• Publishers

Individuals involved in all facets of the IS industry make up AITP's present membership. AITP has proven to be particularly attractive to those "up and coming" in the industry -- not just for helping to develop skills, but for the opportunities to step into uncharted "management" areas by serving as chairpersons, board members and officers.