All,

Just in regards to this previous email from Kim:

<snip>

-----Original Message-----
From: Kim Davies [mailto:kim&#167;cynosure.com.au] 
Sent: Tuesday, 16 September 2003 3:40 AM
To: dns&#167;lists.auda.org.au
Subject: Re: [DNS] FW: johnthomson.id.au has been registered for you.

There is no obligation on the registry (as far as I know) to deploy
IPv6, to run a DNSSEC testbed, to share operational experience with
other ccTLDs or standards groups, or to invest any further effort into
improving the DNS beyond the bare minimum needed to fulfil the current
contract. In the current system auDA can only make its wishlist once
every 4 years. On the other hand, other ccTLDs that run the registry
in-house are on the ball with this stuff and have deployed or are poised
to.

Unfortunately this world-view is at complete odds with the considered
view
of the Competition Panel of 2000.

My 2c.

kim

</snip>


Whilst it is true that there is no "obligation" as such on AusRegistry
to deploy things such as IPv6 support I would like to point out that as
part of the competitive nature of the tendering process it would be in
our best interest to keep completely up to date with new standards and
new technologies. We would hardly stand a chance of being selected again
if when the next tender was issued we had done nothing to improve, or
implement up to date technologies.

To this end AusRegistry has carefully, experimented and in some cases
deployed some of the latest technologies. Examples of what we have done
and are doing include:

> We have implemented full IPv6 glue support.
> We are currently in the process of making the registry systems
reachable  through IPv6 addresses.
> We are migrating to EPPv9, the latest standard in provisioning
protocols.
> We are evaluating DNSSEC and how it can be used in the .au DNS system
> We are members of the auDA Technical committee and as such invest time
in planning and discussing how these technologies are used throughout
the entire .au DNS system.

In fact we are doing things here that most European registries are not.
Few other registries actually use EPP (yet alone version 9)! No other
(that I know of) has implemented "real time" DNS updates? Few use TSIG
signed zone transfers? Few allow IPv6 glue records?

AusRegistry has made a commitment to auDA and the broader public to
provide the "best" service possible. This means that we need to keep on
top of all of the latest technologies. As other entities technically
progress and as technology is constantly improving and changing, it
doesn't take long before the needs of the public (eg IPv6) require
changes to be made. Four years is a long time for people to wait for
these changes and it would not be feasible, with technology evolving at
such a pace, for AusRegistry to sit back and do nothing.

I would argue that it is more likely for a commercial entity to be
committed to these things then any other, in fact it is a lot easier for
a not for profit run by the industry regulators with no competition to
sit back and be content with their current systems. We have to work
hard, to offer the best service possible so that when it comes time to
make the selection again we are able to demonstrate how we have
improved. We would not win the tender process again if we tendered with
the exact same technology we used 4 years earlier.