WASHINGTON: Three communications leaders from VeriSign and Bite Communications are launching a new firm focused on the nexus between technology and public policy.
463 Communications, named for a double play in baseball, will be headed by Tom Galvin, VP of public affairs at VeriSign, and Sean Garrett and Jim Hock, VP and director of technology policy communications at Bite, respectively.
Galvin and Hock will both be based in Washington, while Garrett will be in San Francisco.
"At first, technology companies went to Washington because it was fun," said Galvin. "But now they are engaged because they are facing life or death issues that impact the future of the industry."
While Galvin, Garrett, and Hock are the majority owners, Next 15 - the parent company of Text 100 and Bite - is a financial backer. Next 15 CEO Tim Dyson will also serve as 463's chairman.
The worlds of technology and public policy don't easily meld, and that expertise is badly needed, said Rick White, CEO of TechNet, an industry advocacy group.
"The industry has been slower than it should have been," said White. "It's time to play catch up."
At VeriSign, the company is presently looking for a VP of government relations to replace Galvin.
