If you purchase technology for a government agency or department, you know finding the right audiovisual solution is not as easy as checking the features and price.  You also have to make sure you’re following U.S. government requirements like the Trade Agreements Act, Section 889, and General Services Administration rules around product acquisition. 

The Trade Agreements Act (TAA) governs international trade agreements and initiatives. It generally limits contracts to items that are manufactured or “substantially transformed” in the U.S. or other designated country. 

Section 889 Policies of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act prevents the federal government or contractors from acquiring or even using certain telecommunication equipment (like semiconductor chips) manufactured by specific Chinese companies. There are exceptions and nuances to the policies, but they were designed to protect U.S. government security and cybersecurity. 

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) facilitates government agency procurement of technology products and services, among other things.

Why is compliance important?

Companies with a GSA contract have to be compliant with federal requirements. Mark Donovan, Applications Engineering Manager at Audio-Technica, said, “I've talked to a lot of people in the field who said it's getting harder and harder to find some of these technology products that are compliant. And so being able to keep some of these government facilities up to modern standards is getting difficult.”  

The compliance of Audio-Technica’s solutions means government technologists can solve common audio challenges in a secure way. 

Compliance can get complicated, and Section 899 is a relatively recent legislation, so people are still learning what it all means. GSA confuses many people as well. Donovan explained, “The Government Services Administration–think of it as an Amazon for government. Government entities can go on the GSA and buy something because all of the paths and contracts are worked out and pre-approved.” 

While large integrators use GSA, manufacturers generally don’t. However, many companies with GSA contracts put Audio-Technica products on GSA.

Finding compliant commercial audio technology.

Many Audio-Technica products are compliant with TAA and NDAA889 regulations, including the ATND1061, Engineered Sound® Wired microphones, UniPoint® Boundary Microphones, and our Dante™ microphones. With over 600 commercial audio products that are TAA and NDA899 compliant, we have a solution to help you create exceptional audio and meeting experiences. Anyone with questions about product compliance can reach out to Audio-Technica. 

In government spaces there are special considerations for audio solutions beyond those three regulations, and our audio specialists can help you navigate those. For example, some buyers ask if Audio-Technica’s wireless microphones are TAA compliant, but the federal government doesn’t allow wireless devices in classified security environments. Audio-Technica’s commercial wired microphones are compliant and suited for even the most secure government environments.

Further questions regarding Audio-Technica's compliant products? Please contact us.