Office of Information and Communications Technology and Services

What Office of Information and Communications Technology and Services does

The Office of Information and Communications Technology and Services (OICTS) is a U.S. federal government office within the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), operating under the U.S. Department of Commerce. OICTS implements the Information and Communications Technology and Services (ICTS) Program, which is the regulatory vehicle through which the Commerce Department investigates whether certain ICTS transactions in the United States pose undue or unacceptable national security risks. The office operates under statutory authority derived from the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 (ECRA), implementing four Executive Orders: EO 13873 (securing the ICT supply chain), EO 13984 (Infrastructure as a Service), EO 14028 (improving the nation's cybersecurity), and EO 14034 (protecting Americans' sensitive data from foreign adversaries).

OICTS's operational products and tools center on regulatory administration and compliance facilitation. Core technology systems include SNAP-R (Simplified Network Application Process Redesign), an electronic portal for submitting export license applications and commodity classification requests; STELA (System for Tracking Export License Applications) for monitoring application status; CARS (Compliance Application and Reporting System) for ICTS transaction review and compliance reporting; interactive Commerce Control List tools for searching Export Control Classification Numbers (ECCNs); the interactive Commerce Country Chart for determining license requirements; interactive Country Groups; and the Consolidated Screening List combining restricted parties lists from BIS, Treasury OFAC, and State Department for comprehensive export screening. The office also maintains and enforces restricted parties databases including the Entity List, Denied Persons List, Unverified List, and Military End-User List.

OICTS does not operate on a commercial revenue model. It is funded through federal appropriations, collects fees for certain licensing activities, and generates penalty proceeds from enforcement actions that flow to the U.S. Treasury, including notable settlements such as a $252 million penalty against Applied Materials, $36 million against Robert Bosch GmbH, and $95 million against Cadence Design Systems. The office's served population comprises all entities subject to the Export Administration Regulations, including exporters and reexporters of controlled commodities, software, and technology; connected vehicle manufacturers and hardware importers subject to ICTS regulations; U.S. persons using Kaspersky Lab products (now prohibited from June 2024); and importers of products under Section 232 national security investigations spanning semiconductors, copper, timber, lumber, critical minerals, pharmaceuticals, medium and heavy-duty trucks, and their derivative products.

Name

Office of Information and Communications Technology and Services

Legal name

Office of Information and Communications Technology and Services (OICTS)

Website

https://bis.gov

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

OICTS is a U.S. federal government office within BIS that administers the ICTS Program under four Executive Orders, investigating ICTS transactions for undue national security risks and regulating connected vehicle and restricted software imports.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

OICTS administers the Information and Communications Technology and Services (ICTS) Program for the U.S. Department of Commerce, investigating whether certain ICTS transactions in the United States pose an undue or unacceptable national security risk. The office implements four Executive Orders under IEEPA, issues transaction prohibitions and mitigation measures, and operates regulatory technology systems such as CARS, SNAP-R, and STELA to support export license administration and compliance. Its enforcement actions include prohibitions on Kaspersky software and restrictions on connected vehicle technologies with nexus to the PRC and Russia.

Product overview

The Office of Information and Communications Technology and Services (OICTS) is a U.S. government office responsible for implementing the ICTS Program for the Department of Commerce. OICTS operates as a regulatory body rather than a traditional product company, administering four Executive Orders under IEEPA to investigate whether certain ICTS transactions pose national security risks. OICTS's work centers on the ICTS Program, with key enforcement actions including connected vehicle technology prohibitions and the Russian Kaspersky software ban. The office provides supporting tools including the Compliance Application and Reporting System (CARS), SNAP-R export license portal, STELA application tracking, and interactive Commerce Control List tools. OICTS operates under the Bureau of Industry and Security, U.S. Department of Commerce.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ICTS Program Investigates ICTS transactions for national security risk under IEEPA Executive Orders

Quantifiable outcome

• Second-highest BIS penalty of $252 million imposed on Applied Materials for illegal semiconductor equipment exports to China
• +4 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC): Treasury office that administers and enforces economic and trade sanctions against targeted foreign parties. Operates the SDN List and similar restricted-party screening infrastructure comparable to OICTS's Entity List, with parallel IEEPA-based authority for national security-driven restrictions.
• Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC): State Department office that administers export controls for defense articles and services under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Closely comparable to OICTS in operating licensing portals, restricted-party screening, and enforcement actions for technology transfer.
• Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS): Treasury-chaired interagency committee that reviews foreign investments in US businesses for national security risks. Operates under a parallel risk-based framework to OICTS, focused on economic security threats from foreign adversaries across technology sectors.

Broad incumbents

• Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS): Parent organization of OICTS within the Department of Commerce. Broader scope including the full Export Administration Regulations (EAR), Entity List maintenance, Section 232 investigations, and the licensing of dual-use exports beyond ICTS.

Regional players

• European Commission Directorate-General for Trade: EU policy directorate responsible for EU trade defense instruments, dual-use export controls, and foreign investment screening coordination. Comparable regulatory mission in a different jurisdiction with similar ICTS-adjacent concerns around Chinese technology.
• UK Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU): UK government unit (within the Department for Business and Trade) that administers UK strategic export controls including licensing, compliance, and enforcement. Operates a comparable export licensing regime aligned with multilateral frameworks but serves UK exporters rather than US exporters.
• Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) Trade Control Division: Japan's ministry responsible for administering strategic trade controls including export licensing and end-use controls. Operates a comparable regulatory framework under Japan's Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act, aligned with multilateral export control regimes.

Others

• Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls: Multilateral export control regime in which OICTS/BIS participates as the US representative. Sets standards for dual-use export controls that OICTS implements domestically, making it an enabling framework and policy coordination counterpart rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BISgov
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@bureauofindustryandsecurit6965
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oictsgov

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Office of Information and Communications Technology and Services