Geneva, home of the World Wide Web and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), has been chosen as the scene for a world-wide conference to address key policy issues about the future of the Internet. Bringing together industry leaders from around the world, INET'98 - the annual meeting of the Internet Society - will be held in Geneva, Switzerland from July 21st - 24th 1998.

"We are very pleased to host our annual meeting in Geneva in 1998," said Donald M. Heath, president and CEO of the Internet Society. "As the centre of so much international activity, Geneva is particularly appropriate for INET'98 - at a time when definition and resolution of issues regarding policy and governance of the global Internet are reaching critical importance," he added.

The Internet Society, the non-profit organisation responsible for developing and implementing cyberspace networks, technologies, and policies world-wide, works in close collaboration with a large number of major companies and international organisations. In addition, the Internet Society, of which anyone can become a member, has a growing network of affiliated organisations around the world.

"The annual meeting of the Internet Society is a landmark event each year, bringing together key leaders in Internet technology, policy, service and economic interest. It is altogether fitting that the 1998 meeting should occur in Geneva, as the new telecommunications landscape in Europe unfolds," said Vint Cerf, Senior Vice President of MCI Communications Corp.

Bringing together some 4’000 major actors working with the Internet, the three-day INET’98 conference, organised by the Internet Society and hosted by the Geneva Chapter of the Internet Society, will address key issues related to global policy, economic issues, ethical and social concerns as well as technical aspects related to the growth and development of the Internet.

Mark Selby, President of the Geneva Chapter of the Internet Society and INET’98 Conference Committee Co-Chair, said «As the largest and one of the most dynamic chapters of the Internet Society world-wide, Geneva looks forward to this occasion to contribute to the growth and development of the Internet in Geneva and the surrounding area as well as on a global level.»

In the week prior to the event, INET’98 hosts the annual Developing Countries Workshop, a network training workshop for representatives of countries in the early stages of establishing the Internet.

George Sadowsky, Internet Society Vice President for Conferences and INET’98 Conference Committee Co-Chair, said "Since 1993, these networking workshops have trained almost 1,000 people from well over 120 countries in various aspects of networking technology, and in many cases have provided the initial skills needed to connect their country to the global Internet."

Geneva, as birth place of the World Wide Web and home of the International Telecommunications Union and the World Intellectual Property Organisation, is a particularly appropriate choice for such a major Internet event. Known world-wide as the venue for World Telecom, the City and Canton of Geneva have a high profile in the field of telecommunications and computer networks. Amongst major players present in the area are AT&T, DELL computer, Digital, Geneva Financial Centre, Global One, Hewlett Packard, IBM Microelectronics, Motorola, MCI, Oracle, Reuters, Silicon Graphics, SITA, SUN Microsystems,...

Mr. Jean-Philippe Maître, President of the State Council of Geneva, expressed his great satisfaction at the decision to hold the Internet Society’s annual conference INET’98 in Geneva. «This decision crowns the efforts of Geneva’s authorities to host this prestigious conference and confirms the quality of the equipment and services provided by Palexpo» he said. «In addition, this conference will demonstrate the advantages of the GenevaMan enabling sessions to be held in the best conditions. The INET conference re-enforces the role of Geneva, birth place of the World Wide Web, as a cross-roads for information and communications technologies.»

The signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Internet Society and the local Organising Committee of INET’98 will take place in the Alabama Room of the Geneva Town Hall, under the auspices of Jean-Philppe Maître, President of the Geneva State Council. Also present will be Mr. Donald Heath, President of the Internet Society, Mr. George Sadowsky, Vice President, Mr. Mark Selby, President of the Geneva Chapter, Mr. Martin Burack, Executive Director and Mr. Vinton Cerf, Senior Vice President of MCI Communications Corp. and «father of the Internet». The ceremony will take place on Tuesday, September 9th.

Amongst the companies and organisations that have already announced their support for INET’98 are the Geneva Financial Centre and Price Waterhouse.

Price Waterhouse is the global consulting and business advisory firm which offers Internet consulting services to major businesses throughout the world. Mr. Richard Golding, partner in the Information Systems Risk Management practice commented that ".......the Internet is becoming the premier global communications network for individuals and businesses alike. The social and electronic commerce opportunities and risks are both exciting and daunting and we urge anyone seriously entering this brave new market place to come to INET 98. We look forward to meeting you there."

For further information please contact:

Alan McCluskey, connected, INET’98 Media Relations Co-Chair

Phone: 41.32.763 03 44 Fax: 41.32.763.03 48 e-mail: alan@connected.org

Amanda Waxman, UNCTAD, INET’98 Media Relations Co-Chair

Phone: 41.22.907 58 28 Fax: 41.22.907 00 43 e-mail: amanda.waxman@unctad.org

Mark Selby, Health on the Net, INET’98 Conference Committee Co-Chair

Phone: 41.22.364 1239 e-mail: mark.selby@hon.ch

Torryn Brazell, Internet Society, Director of Conferences

Phone: 1.703.648 9888 Fax: 1.703.648 9887 e-mail: brazell@isoc.org

Anna Dawson, Internet Society, Geneva Coordinator

Phone: 41.22.342 05 41 e-mail: inet98.coordinator@geneva.ch