ICANN - the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers

ICANN is a non profit corporation who are located in Marina Del Ray, California. It was formed in 1998 and is made up of a partnership of people from all over the world who are dedicated to keeping the Internet secure, stable and interoperable. It promotes competition and develops policy on the Internet’s unique identifiers. They have the task of managing the logistics of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and domain names. ICANN operates through a board of stakeholders who regularly meet to discuss policy development in order to better serve the needs of the Internet.

In order to reach another person across the Internet you have to type an address into your computer; this address has to be unique so computers know where to find each other and ICANN coordinates these unique identifiers across the world. If we didn’t have this coordination we wouldn’t have one global Internet.

The one thing that ICANN however doesn’t control is the content on the Internet. ICANN is not responsible for and has no control over spam and it doesn’t deal with access to the Internet; however through its coordination role of the Internet’s naming system, it does have an important impact on the expansion and evolution of the Internet. The main mission and aim; however of ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, is to coordinate, at the overall level, the global Internet's systems of unique identifiers, and in particular to ensure the stable and secure operation of the Internet's unique identifier systems. More specifically ICANN coordinates the allocation and assignment of the three sets of unique identifiers for the Internet, which are as follows:

• Domain Names, which form a system, referred to as DNS (Domain Name Servers).
• Internet protocol ("IP") addresses and autonomous system numbers
• Protocol port and parameter numbers.
• Coordinates the operation and evolution of the DNS root name server system
• Coordinates policy development reasonably and appropriately related to these technical functions

While ICANN is performing its mission there are certain core values that should be taken into consideration, which should guide the decisions and actions of the ICANN team. These core values include the following:

• Preserving and helping to enhance the operational stability, reliability, security and global interoperability of the Internet.
• Introducing and promoting competition in the registration of domain names where practicable and beneficial in the public interest.
• Respecting the creativity, innovation, and flow of information made possible by the Internet by limiting ICANN's activities to those matters within ICANN's mission requiring or significantly benefiting from global coordination.

Without the work that is done by ICANN the Internet would more than likely just dissolve into anarchy if there was no structure put in place to safeguard the address system that underpins the Internet. ICANN also tries to encourage and promote greater web use in developing nations. The Organisation of ICANN is made up of governmental and non-governmental representatives as well as technical experts, business representatives and skilled individuals to find an egalitarian way of managing the web.