ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers)

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is a nonprofit private organization headquartered in the Playa Vista section of Los Angeles, California, United States. It was created on September 18, 1998, and incorporated on September 30, 1998 to oversee a number of Internet-related tasks. This was previously performed directly on behalf of the U.S. government by other organizations, notably the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), which ICANN now operates.

ICANN is responsible for the coordination of the global Internet's systems of unique identifiers and, in particular, ensuring its stable and secure operation. This work includes coordination of the Internet Protocol address spaces (IPv4 and IPv6) and assignment of address blocks to regional Internet registries, for maintaining registries of Internet protocol identifiers, and for the management of the top-level domain name space (DNS root zone). This includes the operation of root name servers. ICANN performs the actual technical maintenance work of the central Internet address pools and DNS root registries pursuant to the "IANA function" contract.

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