Kantara Initiative was announced on April 20, 2009, by leaders of various foundations and associations working on various aspects of digital identity, aka "the Venn of Identity". It is intended to be a robust and well-funded focal point for collaboration to address the issues we each share: Interoperability & Compliance Testing, Identity Assurance, Policy & Legal Issues: Privacy, Ownership & Liability, UX & Usability, Cross-Community Coordination & Collaboration, Education & Outreach, Market Research, Use Cases & Requirements, Harmonization, and Tool Development.
The thinking behind Kantara Initiative dates back to the spring of 2008, when these leaders, individuals, organizations and community members started with a blank slate, discussing consumer and industry needs and trying to determine how to best meet these needs. The team met physically and virtually for months, taking public input and conducting several rounds of strategy interviews, and finally arriving at a basic plan that represented consensus among the team and a new approach through a bicameral leadership model. Legal work was then completed against the spirit of what was trying to be accomplished, and significant due dilligence was done by various legal teams to assure that bylaws, operating procedures and IPR agreements met the needs of the new organization.