Internationalized Domain Names: Standards and Implementation Experience

Paul Hoffman - Internet Mail Consortium

Intended Audience: Managers, Software Engineers, Site Coordinators
Session Level: Beginner

Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) were standardized by the IETF more than a year ago, and they are appearing in more and more software such as web browsers and email clients. However, there are still many roadblocks to the widespread use of IDNs by individuals and companies, including disagreements among domain administrators about which characters should appear in them.

This session will describe the IDN standards as adopted by the IETF, the software that uses IDNs, and the decisions that are being faced by companies around the world about whether or not to adopt IDNs. The session will also preview the next major step in internationalizing the Internet structure, namely the use of non-ASCII names in email addresses.