ICANN sets up group to help manage domain names.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) this week began laying the groundwork for managing the technical aspects of the Internet. Following the group_s two-day meeting in Berlin, ICANN Friday announced a number of organizational changes that will help it manage two of its assigned tasks: coordinating the Internet domain name system and new IP addresses. ICANN is a non-profit, international organization created to oversee the technical functions of the Internet, most of which were formerly carried out by the U.S. government. Among its duties, which it will begin carrying out by September 2000, are coordinating the Internet domain name system, allocating IP addresses, coordinating parameters for new Internet protocols, and managing the Internet_s root server system. At the meeting, ICANN created a group called the Domain Names Supporting Organization (DNSO), according to an ICANN statement. DNSO will make recommendations on how ICANN oversees the domain name system. DNSO will help ICANN establish ways to settle domain name disputes, and decide how and when to expand the number of top-level domains such as .com.