The value of working with an ITAR compliant company

ITAR or the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, is a vital set of regulations that control the export and import of defense and space-related articles, services, and technical data on the United States Munitions List (USML). Every company that handles, manufactures, designs, sells, or distributes items and data on this list, as well as every other part of the supply chain, must comply with ITAR regulations. 

So why is ITAR compliance so important? This regulation not only safeguards USA national security and objectives, it also provides you with an assurance that your technical data will be protected. ITAR exists to track sensitive military and defense materials, including tracking, monitoring and auditing your technical data. 

When you work with an ITAR compliant company, you can be sure that your data is safe. That includes any technical data that is necessary for the development, design, production, manufacturing, operation, assembly, testing, maintenance and repair, and altering of an article or component. These regulations ensure that your data won’t fall into unauthorized hands, and provide an additional layer of protection. 

While there is no official certification involved with ITAR, any company that complies with the ITAR regulation must register with the DDTC and implement and maintain their own policies based on their unique situations and risks. These regulations are updated every April as well, taking into account new services, technology, and other vital upgrades. 

When it comes to lifecycle management of your embedded circuit boards, working with companies that are ITAR compliant means that you’ll have much better control of and access to the necessary information needed to maintain those boards throughout their lifecycle. For boards with long life cycles, the supply chain that supports them tends to break down over time, leading to missing technical data and other documentation vital to the maintenance of that board. Companies that are ITAR compliant will maintain good records that ensure that maintaining boards with long life cycles is not only safe, but also simpler in the long run as supply chains supporting those boards naturally begin to break down. 

At GDCA, we’ve found that working with an ITAR compliant company can make finding support for obsolete or EOL’d boards much easier in the long run, as well as much more cost effective and safe. Your data and boards will be protected, while support will be easier to come by as the necessary technical data will be more readily available and accessible to you.