Internet Society Celebrates Significant Milestone with 20-year Anniversary in 2012

WASHINGTON & GENEVA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Internet Society is proud to announce that the organization will celebrate its 20-year anniversary in 2012. To recognize this momentous milestone, the organization will launch a comprehensive set of exciting initiatives to reflect on the accomplishments of the Internet Society’s first two decades, as well as focus attention on the evolution of the Internet over the past 20 years and the opportunities and challenges that will have a profound impact on its future.

“Twenty years ago, several Internet pioneers had the foresight to form a global organization to help ensure the continued development of an Internet that was open and accessible to all, as well as to more directly support the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) in its open standards processes”

The Internet Society was founded in 1992 to provide leadership in Internet related standards, education, and policy. Over the years, the Internet Society has been committed to ensuring the open development, evolution, and use of the Internet for the benefit of people throughout the world. Through developing-country workshops, public policy, technical activities, sponsored events, and the many and varied activities of its Members, Regional Bureaus, and local Chapters, the Internet Society serves the needs of the growing global Internet community.

“Twenty years ago, several Internet pioneers had the foresight to form a global organization to help ensure the continued development of an Internet that was open and accessible to all, as well as to more directly support the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) in its open standards processes,” said Lynn St. Amour, President and CEO of the Internet Society. “As we approach our 20-year anniversary, we have a remarkable list of accomplishments to celebrate. We now have 90 Chapters, individual Members in nearly every country in the world, and more than 100 organization Members from industry, academia, NGOs, and government who share in the vision of our founders, and support our ongoing efforts to address the long-term health of the Internet for generations to follow.”

The Internet Society’s 20th anniversary celebration will be comprised of multiple initiatives, including an exciting global forum that will convene industry visionaries and thought leaders. The Global INET 2012 will be held 22-24 April at the Centre International de Conférences Genève in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Global INET 2012 will feature high-powered keynote speakers, thought-provoking panel discussions, and interactive workshops to develop a vision for the explosive growth of the Internet over the next 20 years. Thought leaders from across the Internet community will collaborate on topics critical to the global Internet’s future, including privacy, net neutrality, IPv6, security, digital content and innovation, and human rights and freedom of expression. Other highlights of the event include a Gala awards dinner and networking opportunities with key businesses, NGOs, and academics operating in the Internet space, as well as Internet pioneers and futurists.

“The Global INET 2012 will convene visionary speakers from around the world to focus on issues that will have a profound impact on the future of the Internet,” said Raúl Echeberría, Chair of the Internet Society’s Board of Trustees. “The Internet Society is deeply committed to the continued evolution of an open Internet, and this forum will provide the ideal venue to discuss some of the greatest challenges that the Internet faces today and tomorrow.”

Plan to attend this exciting event to hear the biggest names in the industry deliver bold predictions and compelling perspectives on topics that will impact the next 20 years of the Internet. Additional details on the Global INET 2012 and registration information will be available in the coming months. For more details, visit: http://www.internetsociety.org/20^th

About the Internet Society

The Internet Society is the world’s trusted independent source of leadership for Internet policy, technology standards and future development. Based on its principled vision and substantial technological foundation, the Internet Society works with its members and Chapters around the world to promote the continued evolution and growth of the open Internet through dialog among companies, governments, and other organizations around the world. For more information, see: http://www.internetsociety.org.