ICANN Explained

ICANN is the abbreviation of Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. They are responsible for the global coordination of the Internet's system of unique identifiers like domain names (like .org, .museum and country codes like .uk, .de,...) and the addresses used in a variety of Internet protocols that help computers reach each other over the Internet. Careful management of these resources is vital to the Internet's operation, so ICANN's global stakeholders meet regularly to develop policies that ensure the Internet's ongoing security and stability. ICANN oversees a number of Internet-related tasks previously performed directly on behalf of the U.S. Government by other organizations, notably IANA.
 
The tasks of ICANN include managing the assignment of domain names and IP addresses. To date, much of its work has concerned the introduction of new generic top-level domains. The technical work of ICANN is referred to as the IANA function; the rest of ICANN is mostly concerned with defining policy.
 
The non-profit company ICANN was created on September 18th in1998 and has it`s headquarter in Marina Del Rey, California.
 

On September 29, 2006, ICANN signed a new agreement with the United States Department of Commerce (DOC) that is a step forward toward the full management of the Internet's system of centrally coordinated identifiers through the multi-stakeholder model of consultation that ICANN represents. For more information please visit: www.icann.org or follow the Domain Marketing News.