PREMIER INTERNET STANDARDS BODY CONVENES INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY OF INTERNET ENGINEERS AND TECHNOLOGISTS IETF participants define the standards for the global network that connects more than two billion people Paris, France - 28 March 2012 - More than 1,400 of the leading Internet engineers and technologists from around the world are gathering this week at the 83rd meeting of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) held in Paris, France. Standards developed by the IETF provide the foundation for Internet services used around the world, such as domain names, email, the Web, and instant messaging. The IETF gathers a large open community of network designers, engineers, operators, vendors, and researchers concerned with the evolution of the Internet architecture and the smooth operation of the Internet. Technologies previously defined by the IETF, such as IPv6 and DNSSEC, are now at the forefront of efforts to ensure the Internet's continued growth as a trusted platform of communications and innovation for billions of people around the world. Current challenges being addressed by the IETF include the increasing importance of mobile Internet access and privacy. Cisco is the host sponsor of the IETF 83 meeting. "As the IETF nears its 30th year, over two billion people now use the Internet enabled by the standards developed by the IETF and fostered by a largely self-regulatory multi-stakeholder Internet governance ecosystem," said Robert Pepper, vice president, global technology policy, Cisco. "The Internet has grown up and is now essential to the 21st century global economy and a key driver of social development. The technical community, led by the IETF, has a responsibility and critical role to play ensuring the future and freedom of the Internet. Cisco is committed to the IETF as the forum where Internet standards are developed and core Internet principles are protected and fostered, and we are proud to host IETF 83." Since its first meeting was held January 16, 1986 in San Diego, California, the IETF has published more than 4500 Request for Comment documents (RFCs) that describe standards for the fundamental technologies and widely used services on today's global Internet. Because RFCs are freely available, students, software and hardware developers, and organizations and companies anywhere in the world can learn, innovate, and build services and products based on the work of the IETF. "The IETF is unique, with all interested parties invited to participate in the creation of voluntary technical standards using open and transparent processes," said Russ Housley, chair of the IETF. "Even if someone cannot attend face-to-face meetings, they can participate through electronic mail or other electronic means. All IETF documents, whether working drafts or full standards, are freely available online to everyone. The end result is timely and market-relevant open standards for the global Internet, maximizing both interoperability and scalability." "Virtually everything we do online today is enabled by work done or a standard developed in the IETF," noted Lynn St. Amour, president and CEO of the Internet Society (ISOC). "The IETF is a leading example of a global, open and collaborative organization. Organizations that share this operating model are at the very heart of the Internet's amazing success. These characteristics are 'game changers' for standards development globally." The IETF has enabled the development of standards that have supported every aspect of the Internet's phenomenal growth. The IETF pioneered a unique, open process for standards development based on principles such as "rough consensus and running code." While the work of the IETF takes place online, largely through email lists, to reduce barriers to participation and to maximize contributions from around the world, its in-person meetings have gathered more than 80,000 participants over the past 25 years. About the Internet Engineering Task Force The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) is the Internet's premier technical standards body. It gathers a large open international community of network designers, engineers, operators, vendors, and researchers concerned with the evolution of the Internet architecture and the smooth operation of the Internet. The IETF seeks broad participation. The work of the IETF takes place online, largely through email lists, reducing barriers to participation and maximizing contributions from around the world. IETF Working Groups (WGs) are organized by topic into several areas (e.g., routing, transport, security, etc.). For more information, see: http://www.ietf.org/ CONTACTS Jim Brady Cisco +1 408-482-4719 jimbrady@cisco.com Wende Cover Internet Society +1 703-439-2773 cover@isoc.org
