Greetings folks
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I am writing this from the OECD HQ in Paris where Kantara is carrying out its responsibilities to ITAC in its support of OECD member nations with advice on Security and Privacy related matters of the continued development of the digital economy.
This is one of those roles which, while not in the spotlight of industry commentators, reflects the global recognition of Kantara's credibility in the space and the expertise of its members.
As some of you know, the BlockChain SmartContracts Discussion Group is in the final stages of completing its Report that outlines the nature of the issues it has uncovered together with suggestions as to how Kantara could proceed to resolve these issues.
I intervened to remind the Group what Kantara does and the cadence of its 'invent-innovate-implement' process, to help them mark their suggestions along that continuum.
As I did so, I got positive feedback from some members and non member participants in that group many of whom had not heard Kantara explained this way before, so I thought I would repeat it here.
If you stand back and look across Kantara's portfolio, you'll see a kind of cadence:Brainstorming DGs repeating cycle as it goes about its work - Brainstorming Discussion Groups - to - Spec writing WGs Working Groups - to - conformance assessment Programs.
Kantara offers the DGs Directors offer the Discussion Group platform to make it easy to contribute and investigate, size and frame up value propositions that industry needs.
DGs are the 'birds of a feather' that typically draw in first movers and thought leaders like you, in order to frame up WGs follow-up Working Groups that bring in a community of paying members because that community wants that spec/specification, API or whatever written or coded, to solve a particular problem.
And once it is written they that artifact is complete the Working Group's community typically want to formalize that work through paid conformance assessment and approval, to delineate those who have it and those that don't, in the marketplace - for the safety, security and privacy of all users of the digital economy.
That Quite simply, that is Kantara's business model.
Roughly 60% of Kantara's revenue comes from membership, and 40% from the Identity Assurance Programand other monetized Programs. Kantara wants to reverse that metric and in the long term, drive down the reliance on membership once a sufficient number of monetized programs can carry the overhead costs of the platform.
The Identity Assurance Program (the first of several we hope to offer) came about because of a need (in that case US Federal agencies) needing to leverage private sector Identity and Credential Service Providers ) which in turn brought the CSPs Credential Service and Identity Proofing Service Providers to join Kantara, form the Identity Assurance Working Group and to , contribute to the spec specification (in that case the Identity Assurance Framework) which in turn became the monetized 3rd party assessment and conformance Program it is to this day, and for which Kantara is known globally for.
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You can see glimmers of this model surfacing in discussions in the Consent & Information Sharing WG about writing conformance criteria for the recently balloted Consent Receipt, and in the Identity of Things DG....
I ask you to spare a thought for this lens through which to view Kantara, as you work through these great suggestions.
Whatever you decide, it doesnThe Recommendations of a Work Group don't have to be a mirror image of the Identity Assurance Program, nor using the synergies of another WG's outputs, tho' both are good beacons to be guided by.
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But it does have to be a strong enough value proposition that motivates a community to come to Kantara to do their work to solve their problems.
And the revenue they bring directed/sponsored funds and/or member dues that flow in from that motivated community, allows Kantara to continue to cover the cost of great brainstorming DGs like the BSC DG that kick-starts the cadence of the model.
Roll on April! 
Cheers
Colin
Around the Houses:
Marketing:
- We had some great press coverage during March. You can read it here:
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Media
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Link
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Security Week
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http://www.securityweek.com/kantara-initiative-assists-eu-privacy-and-gdpr-issues
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Hackbusters
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http://www.hackbusters.com/news/stories/1411639-kantahttp://www.internetac.org/ra-initiative-assists-with-eu-privacy-and-gdpr-issues
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Global Security Mag
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http://www.globalsecuritymag.com/Kantara-Initiative-Joins-European,20170404,70067.html
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Biz Dallies
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IT Security
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Digi.me
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Kantara Initiative
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https://kantarainitiative.org/kantara-initiative-joins-european-trust-foundation/
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Insightaas
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- April. More updates coming:
Program, Work Group and Discussion Group Updates:
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- The Federation Identity Working Group is poised to vote through its draft 'SAML V2.0 Implementation Profile for Federation Interoperability' - a joint effort between the global R&E community and Kantara, which is designed to converge requirements and conformance into a single easy profile.
- KIPI - the Kantara Identity, Privacy Incubator, has 3 live projects that have a potential funding value of up to US $2.4Million!
- As always if you have a query or question, staff are only too willing to assist. Email them here https://kantarainitiative.org/contact-us/
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- Next up is ISO SC27 in Hamilton, New Zealand in April, then IIW and EIC in May. And stay still stay tuned for something special for September.
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