"i-DNS.net is proud to be part of this effort that recognizes that a Multi-lingual Internet is beneficial for all the world's netizens,'' said Michael Ng, CEO of i-DNS.net, "The standardization of regulatory and operational procedures here will help bring millions of people online and enable them to enjoy the benefits of a secure, robust and global Multi-lingual Internet."
MINC plans to open discussion on how best to internationalize the Internet. Additionally, MINC will support the development of multilingual Internet domain names in email and web addresses. The consortium's efforts are aimed at creating awareness in the currently English-dominated Internet world of the linguistic needs of the non-native English speaking communities worldwide.
MINC will support Internet development in any region in the world where the English language or the ASCII alphabet is not natively understood or in widespread use specifically where it pertains to Internet names. The Consortium's principal activities include: coordination of research and development on multilingual names, coordination on technical deployment on multilingual names, and acting as a liaison with organizations such as the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), Internet Assigned Names Authority (IANA) and Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).
"MINC's non-governmental, global approach takes its lead from members of the Internet community who are involved and interested in the development of Internet names,'' said Professor Tan Tin Wee, the former APNG chairman who commissioned the project in which has now led to the formation of MINC. "By making linguistic barriers to the Internet a thing of the past, MINC aims to make the Internet globally accessible for all peoples of the world.''
MINC launch will be followed by special sessions during the period of the INET2000 conference in July 2000, in Yokohama, Japan, and by an entire conference track during an upcoming conference in September 2000 in Singapore.
For more information and membership details, please see http://www.minc.org
