Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is a nonprofit international organization responsible for the Internet’s addressing system. Its main function is to coordinate the assignment of names and numbers used in World Wide Web addresses. It also provides technical management and develops policy for the transmission and reception of data over the Internet. ICANN is based in the United States, but it is recognized in many countries as a primary management agency of the global Internet.
ICANN oversees the Internet Domain Name System (DNS). Domain names are the familiar names by which people access Internet sites. Every domain name corresponds to a series of numbers, called an Internet Protocol (IP) address. Computers on the Internet use IP addresses to route traffic and to establish connections with other computers. ICANN is responsible for the assignment of IP address numbers.
Representatives from the business, technical, academic, and legal communities formed ICANN in 1998. The organization’s headquarters are in Marina del Rey, California.
See also Internet .
