About Us

FreeICT USA is a not-for-profit foundation actively promoting the ICT Secondary Market within the US.

Our objective is to secure the right of ownership and the freedom for consumers and businesses alike to freely choose their providers to trade, maintain and repair by:

• Address the restrictive practices undertaken by Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs)

• Ensure serviceability is included as a key component of the US Digital Agenda

• Promote common standards for reuse and resale of equipment and software

• Achieve contract transparency to protect end users against unfair business practices.

Our Mission

FreeICT USA aims to bring together the independent enterprise ICT aftermarket chain under the banner of “Freedom to Support, Repair and Resell”. These organizations have been able to extend the life and improve the service to ICT assets while realizing better value.

Smiling executive talking to co-workers

Collaborating

While we might bring together competition, the relationships we have are based on trust and elevate to the level of interest of the market as a whole. Affiliations are within our core market & beyond.

Representing

FreeICT USA is recognized as the US Representative for the IT aftermarket, representing companies active in Third Party Maintenance, Software Support, ICT Brokerage/Reselling, Spare Parts Suppliers, Used Software resellers, Rental and Leasing Companies.

Influencing

Although many companies in this market are working well with each other on a daily basis, there is no united approach towards institutions and other organizations. To be heard one voice needs to be strong enough to inform bodies about our market and issues.

Support

The market developments stimulate us to unite our common values & knowledge to become stronger, to defend the rights and interests of our customers, our businesses and the United States as a whole. Confidentiality is key.

Modern office workers around conference table

Transparency

We are committed to transparency in every aspect of funding our organization.

Accepting financial support does not mean we endorse donors or their products, services or opinions.

We accept gifts, grants and sponsorships from individuals, organizations and foundations to help with our general operations, coverage of specific topics and special projects. As a 501(c)(6) nonprofit that operates as a public trust, we do not pay certain taxes. We may receive funds from standard government programs offered to nonprofits or similar businesses.

The Board

Kevin Towers

Kevin Towers is the CEO of Techbuyer Group, a business that provides sustainable IT solutions to organizations across more than 100 countries, with offices and engineering facilities in the USA, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand. Founded by Kevin in 2005, and now employing close to 300 on the team, Techbuyer has grown organically, remaining privately owned today.

Techbuyer Group origins were founded upon refurbishment, reconfiguration & resale of used IT hardware. However, the company now delivers both new and refurbished enterprise IT solutions, as well as software, services & consultancy, to clients across the globe.

Techbuyer’s ongoing research in the areas of sustainability and energy efficiency led to the production of a world-first software tool, called Interact. This machine-learning, SaaS tool is proven to reduce IT infrastructure cost and carbon footprint, as well as increase energy efficiency in data centers.

Under Kevin’s leadership, Techbuyer and Interact have become leading industry voices on sustainability, innovation, and the circular economy – advising governments and academics on sustainability in the USA and Europe.

Shannon Mahaffey

Shannon Mahaffey

As a senior executive in several robust technology companies offering a superior competitive choice, Shannon Mahaffey is passionate about advocating for alternative (and often superior) support and maintenance options for enterprise hardware and software users.  He works with FreeICT USA and lawmakers to challenge forced OEM policies and outdated support models to promote an open and sustainable service and maintenance market.

Shannon is Chief Operations Officer of Origina, a recognized global leader in the independent support of IBM and HCL software. Their business enables large organizations to enhance their software budgets through cost reduction in relation to existing software support. This enables customers to pursue digital modernization while extending product lifecycles, reducing waste, and supporting ESG initiatives.

Jake Blough

Jake Blough has been with Service Express since 2000 and has held multiple roles in the technical side of their business. He became Chief Technology Officer in 2015. Jake is responsible for market trends, competitive landscapes, and evaluation of new services and M&A for Service Express globally.  He’s excited to be part of the FreeICT movement and lends his expertise and passion to codify fair competition in the marketplace.

Thank you to our supporters:

Techbuyer Logo
Service Express Logo
Spinnaker Support Logo
Park Place Technologies Logo

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