ICANN stands for the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. The ICANN corporation is an international and non-profit service that allocates Internet Protocal (IP) addresses, assigns protocol identifiers, manages generic (gTLD) and country code (ccTLD) Top-Level Domain name systems, and root server systems. The IANA, or Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, used to perform these duties, but ICANN has now taken over. ICANN promotes the operational stability of the internet and competition among Websites through a private-public partnership.

DNS, or the Domain Name System, provides the means for users to navigate the Internet. Because lengthy IP addresses are difficult to remember, DNS assignments, i.e. Web addresses, make finding a website simpler.

ICANN coordinates the technical side of the DNS so users can find valid addresses. ICANN oversees the distribution of identifiers (such as .net, .gov, etc.) in Internet operations at a global level. ICANN assures that the same domain name will always call the expected location, regardless of the users circumstances or location. Issues such as financial transaction rules, Internet content control, email spam, and data encryption are not in the range of ICANN's responsibilities.

Without ICANN's structure, it would be impossible to achieve globally predictable results when surfing the Internet. A Board of Directors oversees an international staff in three countries to maintain ICANN's operational responsibilities. 80 governments advise the Board of Directors; ICANN is possibly the best example of collaboration in the Internet community.

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