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Visionaries to Lead INET'98
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 4, 1998
Internet Society Program Addresses Critical Internet Issues from July 21 to 24, 1998, in Geneva, SwitzerlandInternational policy makers, Internet pioneers and corporate executives from around the world will be addressing the socio-economic impact and future of the Internet at INET'98, the eighth annual conference of the Internet Society (ISOC) to be held July 21 to 24 in Geneva, Switzerland.
INET'98 goes beyond the traditional consumer trade fairs. It provides a forum to address the most important technical, e-commerce and regulatory issues in a global context. The list of speakers at the plenary sessions reflects the scope of this Internet Summit and includes Vinton Cerf, co-inventor of the computer networking protocol and currently responsible for the development of MCI's Internet network; European Union representative Robert Verrue, director general of DGXIII, which is responsible for the development of the European information highways; and Jay Naidoo, South Africa's Telecom Minister. Invited participants also include Ira Magaziner, senior advisor on U.S. Internet policy to President Bill Clinton.
More than 150 peer-reviewed papers will be presented during the conference. Attendance will include a who's-who of the global Internet community. Major sponsors for this premier event are Geneva Financial Center Foundation, Digital Equipment Corporation, Sun Microsystems, Cisco Systems, IBM, Oracle, University of Geneva, and MCI Communications.
"INET'98 is more than a typical Internet conference," said Don Heath, ISOC president. "Network leaders and policy makers from 150 countries will come together to discuss the evolution of the Internet and its future impact on many key areas of society, from health and education to electronic commerce."
INET'98 topics include new applications for the Web; social, legal and regulatory policies; commerce, finance and security issues; teaching and learning; network technology and engineering; information poverty and the developing world; and the Internet's role as a conduit for social change. The conference also will include an educators' workshop, a networking symposium and a forum for discussing issues related to Internet names.
ISOC also will host "Network Training Workshops", July 11 to 19, prior to the start of the main conference. More than 200 professionals from around the world will be taught how to design, operate, maintain, and manage an Internet site by some of the world's leading experts. For the first time, the workshops will be presented in four different languages at two locations:
- Geneva, Switzerland (English and French)
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Spanish and Portuguese)
"Knowledge is the key to sustainable improvements in human well-being," says Dave Todd, director of public affairs for Canada's International Development Research Centre. "The Network Training Workshops provide the knowledge that enables people and their communities to develop the ability to identify and solve their own problems."
Conference details and registration information are available at the Internet Society Web Site <http://www.isoc.org>.
Since 1992, the Internet Society has served as the international organization for global coordination and cooperation on the Internet, promoting and maintaining a broad spectrum of activities focused on the Internet's development, availability, and associated technologies. ISOC is a non-governmental international organization and its members include private companies, government agencies, foundations and entrepreneurial organizations.
Contacts:
Don Heath, heath@isoc.org
Martin Burack, burack@isoc.org
(703) 648-9888
Tom Gable, tomg@gablegroup.com
Alice Sachs, alice@gablegroup
The Gable Group
(619) 234-1300
For more information about INET'98
