Technology executives from some of the U.S.'s biggest computer software and hardware companies on Thursday urged the Bush administration to create a national commission on organized cybercrime.

The 15 chief technology officers -- from companies such as Adobe, Dell, HP, Microsoft, IBM, Veritas, Symantec, and McAfee -- met with members of Congress, White House officials, and their counterparts in federal agencies to plead their case.

"Consumers who rely on the conveniences and benefits of online technologies are increasingly faced with a number of problems, including spam and identity theft," said Robert Holleyman, the president of the Business Software Alliance (BSA). All the companies represented are members of the BSA, a trade group that usually focuses on anti-piracy issues.

"These crimes are no longer the province of mischievous, attention-seeking amateurs, but increasingly of organized professional criminals motivated by profit," Holleyman added. "Industry and government should partner to stem the growth of online crime, and we believe that a new commission is the proper venue to address these threats."

Presidential commissions are relatively rare, and although the White House expressed interest, it didn't commit to creating a cybercrime commission.