The Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) and Microsoft Corp. today announced they have entered an agreement to resolve several outstanding issues on which they have been on opposite sides, in some cases for several years, and to work together on important and pressing technology issues facing the high-tech industry.

The agreement reflects recognition by both CCIA and Microsoft that there are important public policy issues where there is an important commonality of interest throughout the information technology industry, but where cooperation has been hindered by the contentious relationship between them.

As part of this agreement, Microsoft will join the membership of CCIA. The company will compensate CCIA for certain legal-related expenditures it has incurred, in some cases over the past decade, and provide substantial institutional support for new and important policy undertakings on which CCIA will take a leadership role.

The following questions and answers regarding today’s announcement of an agreement between Microsoft and the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) were jointly prepared by the two organizations: