Pierre Ouedraogo, Technical Leader from Africa, Receives 2012 Jonathan B. Postel Service Award

Internet Society recognizes his extensive work in advancing the Internet in Africa

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Internet Society today announced that its prestigious Jonathan B. Postel Service Award was presented to Pierre Ouedraogo for his exceptional contributions to the growth and vitality of the Internet in Africa. The international award committee, comprised of former Jonathan B. Postel award winners, noted that Mr. Ouedraogo played a significant role in the growth of the Internet in Africa and demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to training young engineers and participating in regional Internet organizations.

“Pierre Ouedraogo is a highly-regarded technical leader in Africa, and he has been instrumental in bringing the Internet to Burkina Faso as well as other French-speaking African countries”

Mr. Ouedraogo is the Director of Digital Francophonie at Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) based in Paris, France. Over the years, he has established networks of IT experts to coordinate African efforts to develop IT and use it as a tool for development. Mr. Ouedraogo initiated many IT technical workshops in Africa and is a founding member of numerous African regional organizations, including AfriNIC (the African Internet Registry for IP addresses); AfTLD (African Internet Top Level Domain Names Association); AFNOG (African network operators group); AfCERT (African CERT network), and AfrICANN (African network of participants to the ICANN process).

“Pierre Ouedraogo is a highly-regarded technical leader in Africa, and he has been instrumental in bringing the Internet to Burkina Faso as well as other French-speaking African countries,” said Lynn St. Amour, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Internet Society. “His commitment to the expansion of the Internet and encouragement of young engineers to help them build their skills through training workshops has had a profound impact on the growth of the Internet across Africa.”

The Postel Award was established by the Internet Society to honour individuals or organisations that, like Jon Postel, have made outstanding contributions in service to the data communications community. The committee places particular emphasis on candidates who have supported and enabled others in addition to their own specific actions. The award is focused on sustained and substantial technical contributions, service to the community, and leadership.

The Internet Society presented the award, including a US$20,000 honorarium and a crystal engraved globe, during the 84th meeting of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, July 29 - August 3, 2012.

About the Internet Society

The Internet Society is the trusted independent source for Internet information and thought leadership from around the world. With its principled vision and substantial technological foundation, the Internet Society promotes open dialogue on Internet policy, technology, and future development among users, companies, governments, and other organizations. Working with its members and Chapters around the world, the Internet Society enables the continued evolution and growth of the Internet for everyone. For more information, visit www.internetsociety.org.