IP: Background to announcement of ITAG

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

In an attempt to clear up a rather confused picture on some peoples mind of
what the ITAG is the following was drafted by the ITAG. Dave




Background to announcement of ITAG
----------------------------------


A key event in the next few months will be the transition of the Internet
Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) from a US Government funded activity to
an openly governed, privately funded not-for-profit activity. To guide him
through this transition, the Director of the IANA, Dr. Jon Postel, has
requested advice from a few individuals with experience in the Internet and
the international arena. Since the IANA operates in cooperation with the
Internet Architecture Board (IAB), the formation of this advisory group was
jointly announced by Jon and by Brian Carpenter, Chair of the IAB on
February 11, 1998:


        The Chair of the Internet Architecture Board (IAB), Brian
        Carpenter, and the Director of the Internet Assigned Numbers
        Authority (IANA), Jon Postel, jointly announce the formation
        of the "IANA Transition Advisors Group" (ITAG).


        The ITAG will serve as a set of senior advisors to the IANA
        during the transition to a new organization with formal status
        as a non-profit corporation with a board of directors.  This
        group will cease to exist when the board of directors of the
        new organization has its first meeting.  The members of the
        ITAG have declared themselves as not candidates for the
        initial IANA board.


        The ITAG will consist of 6 members.  The initial members(*) are:


                Randy Bush      - Verio
                Brian Carpenter - IBM UK
                Dave Farber     - U Penn
                Geoff Huston    - Telstra
                John Klensin    - MCI
                Steve Wolff     - Cisco


        * organization affiliation for identification purposes only.


The initial task of the ITAG is to assist Jon in drawing up draft statutes
for the new, not-for-profit, IANA organization, with particular attention
to its open, international governance.  This is why the ITAG members have
disqualified themselves from membership of the initial Board of the new
organization. They will also advise Dr Postel on any other critical issues
concerning the transition to the new organization.


The ITAG members were invited on a personal basis by Jon, and do not
officially represent anyone except themselves.  They all have significant
experience of the international aspects of the Internet. Their geographical
distribution (four in the US, one in Europe and one on the Pacific Rim)
loosely reflects that of the Internet itself. However, the ITAG makes no
claim to authority and will act exclusively in an advisory capacity.




********************************
See you at INET'98, Geneva 21-24, July 98   <http://www.isoc.org/inet98/>