Summit in Auckland 30 April 1999

Steven Heath, a senior manager with Ernst & Young New Zealand
will chair the Summit that gets underway at Ellerslie Race Course
Conference centre at 9.00 am, Friday 30 April.
The Summit has called together a number of professional speakers
from business, government and the Internet community to address the
attendees.The aim of the conference is to ensure the business community
is involved in the debate over regulation of the Internet and
electronic commerce.Recommendations from the Summit will then assist in
the development of a well-structured and supported submission form the
New Zealand community that can be tabled at the Internet Corporation
for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) meeting to be held in Berlin in
mid-May.
ICANN was created after the US Government decided to withdraw from
any involvement in management of the Internet.When ICANN met in March,
some essential issues were raised that could see New Zealand businesses
subject to rules developed elsewhere.
"New Zealand must ensure that it represents itself effectively at
the May ICANN meeting as all businesses that use the Internet could be
affected," says Sue Leader, Executive Director of the Internet Society
of New Zealand.
"What we are talking about are the sovereign rights of New Zealand
to govern and regulate its own Internet use.That responsibility belongs
to each and every business that uses the Internet," she says.
A number of key issues will be addressed.These include the
regulatory structure for the registration of domain names, potential
legal implications, the implications for New Zealand sovereignty, the
proposed costs that are to be imposed, whether registrars will be
compelled to send personal information overseas on a daily basis and
the proposed compulsory arbitration of disputed trademarks in domain
names.
Sue Leader is pleased a large professional services business
corporation like Ernst & Young has partnered with the Internet
Society of New Zealand for the Summit.She believes Ernst & Young's
commitment reinforces the importance of the governance issues that do
exist and that this issue is one business rightfully needs to be
involved in.
"Information technology related issues are now accepted as part of
gaining competitive advantage for a company.This can range from using
it as a enabler, driver or delivering new ways for an organisation to
deliver services," she says.
"Steven Heath, a senior manager with Ernst & Young New Zealand,
and a international expert in implementing and managing leading
Internet and electronic commerce projects, will be the independent
Chair for the Summit.
"His expertise and experience will add a new dimension to the
Summit.It will ensure that these issues have the profile it deserves.
For those people wanting additional information they can visit the following web site: http://www.isocnz.org.nz or contact Sue Leader, Executive Director on (04) 801-6256 or (021) 673-300
Ends
© 1999 The Internet Society of New Zealand