Greetings folks
This is the running update from the Executive Director. Have questions or comments? Suggest some added information or edits? Contact the ED colin@kantarainitiative.org
...
As I write this in early August, summer lingers but is starting to fade in the northern hemisphere. And as folks start to return to work in earnest, the email in-box and the calendar starts is filling up. Whether it's skiing in the southern regions or bathing at the beach in the north, I do hope you are getting some work-life balance. We don't get so much of that here in Kantara, given the frenetic pace of activitybut we try..
.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx
We have used the quieter pace of summer to review various aspects of the organization, and in particular the value proposition to our members. Members are the life-blood of the organization because without them, we don't have the funds to support the platform
Stand by for various activities there.
The digital identity and privacy industry is incredibly vibrant and active, with an often punishing schedule of events and related opportunities to showcase and participate across the world.
There is so much to learn, consume and ponder over, yet the time 'in the heat of the moment' is so short. The northern hemisphere summer offers its citizens the chance to bring out those great ideas that were relegated to the cerebral 'parking lot' in earlier months and give them the due consideration they deserve. At last, there's time to reflect, refresh, review and plan. Certainly that's how we see it at Kantara .
For you, perhaps this is the time to go and join that Kantara Work Group of Discussion Group you has always planned to, but never quite got around to doing. There's some seriously interesting stuff going on. Take a look here .
Wherever you are reading this.. on your phone on a beach or lake, on your back porch, perhaps in the ski lodge in Australia, New Zealand or South America, I hope you take time to think about your next step in engaging with Kantara and other industry consortia that, while different in their particular focus, share a common goal towards a better place for the world's digital citizens.
To that end, we are just so busy right now as we plan for new activities in the Fall. So if you have a few hours a week you could spare, to help us on a range of project management and administrative work, staff@kantarainitiative would love to hear from you.
Cheers! and to offer our services to the community such as the ID Assurance Program.
The EU Referendum in the UK at the end of June brought a surprising result, and as a consequence, Kantara has been looking across the EU Member States to determine how to optimise its position in relation to the location of its members, and has engaged some members in that process. We expect to announce an update on our plans later this year.
While some Working Groups have taken a breather over the summer, others have been pushing hard to get their deliverables nailed. It was great to see the Consent and Information Sharing Work Group announce the v0.8 draft Consent Receipt Recommendation approved by the WG to allow implementations to proceed late August and through September at Digital Catapult in London, MyData in Helsinki and expected also on a trial site at Kantara.
Summer also gives folks a chance to push forward with new ideas and innovations that need a platform to further develop. Every week in July has seen a new proposal presented to Kantara for a Work or Discussion Group, which portends for a very exciting future. What is so great about these proposals is the way they relate nicely to the existing work underway and have a service component outcome for the benefit of Kantara and the wider community.
We received a positive response to our call for volunteers to help Kantara drive its mission forward, and it's my pleasure to inform you that we have retained an intern for the remainder of the year and partly into next. Eric Pridgen is a senior, Mathematics major at Winston-Salem State University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and also undertakes research experience at Rutgers University in New Jersey. In due course some of you may encounter him in Working Group and Discussion Groups where you are active.
Colin
Around the Houses:
Liaisons:
- Nothing new to report yet, but we are working on some new developments that we Still nothing announceable, but progress is being made (albeit slower over summer) and we hope to share more with you later.
- Meanwhile take a summary look at our Liaisons here and those detail along with our other relationships of various forms memorialized hereFurther liaisons are progressing, with announcements expected soon.
- New Activities:
- Blockchain Smart Contracts had its inaugural call a few days ago, with good attendance.
- The Identity Assurance WG is running off cycle calls to discuss and gather comments on the new draft, NIST 800-63-3. NIST joined us on our last call and encourages Kantara to offer formal comments in the fullness of time.
...