International Interactive Communications Society
International Interactive Communications Society (IICS) is a professional trade association for companies and individuals involved in interactive media. The organization traces its roots to the days of interactive laser disc production in the San Francisco Bay Area during the 1980s. Originally the society was proposed as a special interest group of the International Television Association (ITVA), now known as Media Communications Association – International (MCA-I), but the charter members decided to establish the society as an independent entity with different membership requirements for the new interactive and computer based communications. The charter members were composed of equipment vendors, independent producers, training professionals and members of Apple's IIe computer group, Sony's SMC-70 computer & interactive LaserDisc groups and Pioneer's interactive Laserdisc groups. In its heyday the organization had hundreds of members in the San Francisco Bay Area and thousands of members worldwide with chapters in Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta, San Diego, Detroit (Great Lakes). The Detroit-area group was especially active due to the extensive use of laser-discs and computer-controlled laser-discs used by the automotive industry. John Hartigan, Detroit-Area Sony Sales Representative, wanted to sell these "new-fangled" audio-video display mechanisms with special features; so he showed up with