The Consumer Electronics Association has changed its name to the Consumer Technology Association, a new brand the group believes captures the diversity of the industry it represents.

CTA CEO Gary Shapiro recently announced the new name in a post on Medium, an online site that allows users to share their writings. He noted that 15 years ago the association didn't include any Internet retailers, drone makers, robotics companies and app creators among its membership. Now it does.

"They have made the association better as they infused our world with energy, passion and an aura of modernity. In short, they have strengthened us," he said.

One common concern among members was that the word "electronics" in Consumer Electronics Association didn't adequately describe what the organization currently represents, Shapiro said.

"The word ‘electronics' is limiting and does not capture all the innovation swirling around wireless, the Internet, automobiles, health and the new economy," he said. "The word ‘technology' better defines what we have become and who we represent."

Shapiro noted the association began in 1924 as the Radio Manufacturers Association. It later changed its name to the Electronics Industries Association and, after that, the Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Association. It became CEA in 1999. http://bit.ly/1M3Z8Ce

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