Established by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the United Nations Fund for Science and Technology for Development (UNFSTD), the UN Technological Information Promotion System (TIPS) is a global information network in technology, economy and trade. It aims at promoting international trade, technology transfer and economic cooperation between developed and developing countries and among developing countries themselves. More than 100 countries have connected to this system so far.

TIPS was founded in 1985 and headquartered in Rome, Italy. It has regional centers in Asia/Africa, Europe and Latin America, and a sub-regional center in Central America, respectively. Recommended in 1988 by the TIPS Inter-governmental Steering Committee and approved by UNDP, the International Information Development Net (DEVNET), a non-profit and non-governmental organization, was registered in 1989 in Rome, Italy and Costa Rica respectively to undertake the day-to-day administration for the operation of TIPS international information network. In 1995 DEVNET was authorized the permanent consultative status (category I) by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).