Association of Telehealth Service Providers (ATSP) is an international membership-based trade non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care through growth of the telehealth industry and promoting the use of telecommunications in healthcare. Its main activities are advocacy, education awareness programs, and business support services. It is a business-oriented group which focuses on providing members with information and tools to facilitate the success of their telehealth activities. ATSP believes that telemedicine is a practical tool that can improve the distribution of healthcare services to the benefit of both patients and providers. It was founded in 1996 by Douglas Perednia, MD and is located in Portland, Oregon. Its executive director is Will Engle. Telemedicine Information Exchange In June 2006, the ATSP announced that it was taking over the hosting and updating responsibilities for the Telemedicine Information Exchange (TIE). The TIE's mission is to provide an online, unbiased, all-inclusive platform for information on telemedicine and telehealth. As of April 2012, this site seems to be down.