Updated: IIA chief steps down after more than 13 years

Internet Industry Association (IIA) chief executive officer, Peter Coroneos, has announced his resignation from the role following 13 and a half years with the industry body.

Coroneos’ tenure at the IIA, which he jokingly equated to 91 internet years in speaking with Computerworld Australia, will conclude at the end of June this year, with no successor named at this stage.

“After this length of time I think it’s good for the organisation to have a renewal and I’m ready to try something else, I’ll probably go surfing for a while,” Coroneos said.

“I haven’t thought about what I’ll do next professionally as yet, we only just announced it last night, so I’ve got nothing planned.”

Throughout his years with the organisation, Coroneos noted a number of significant achievements including an industry code written in 1999 to provide an alternative to mandatory internet filtering.

“We were able to provide a more balanced response in child protection and those codes have been put in force for 10 years now,” he said.

According to Coroneos, the early work the IIA conducted on spam, a code of practice and also having a hand in drafting Australian spam legislation that is now recognised as “one of the best spam acts” globally was also a major step.

“In 2001, we managed to get an exemption to get streamed video excluded from the definition of broadcasting so that internet video could occur without the need for a broadcasting licence… Internet video has really underpinned the demand for broadband,” he said.

“In 2006 we wrote the national targets for broadband for the nation and those really underpinned much of the government’s policy on fibre to the home so that’s a huge achievement.”

Most recently, Coroneos pointed out the organisation’s work on its 'iCode', written to counter the global problem of zombie computers. Coroneos said the code, which at last count has received support from 80 per cent of the ISP sector, is now gaining international support, including from the White House in the US.

Of the future, media convergence will be a major challenge for his successor, he said.

“Minister Conroy has announced a review of the whole media regulation landscape and it’s going to be a fair bit or argy bargy around what restrictions may be placed on new media,” he said.

“One would imagine that the television interests are going to be to reclaim some lost ground but we think that the internet has quality that make it a natural successor to television, we’d hate to see regulation put on the internet that might hold back innovation and development of new services.”

The board has reappointed Bruce Linn as chairman, while deputy chair, Greg Badar, secretary, Charles Heunemann and treasurer, Nick Ellsmore, will continue in their positions.

Newly elected IIA board members include Internode carrier relations manager, John Lindsay and Peter Price from Crime Stoppers.

“I'm excited by the opportunity to serve on the board of Australia's peak Internet association with some of the most experienced and passionate people behind the Internet,” Lindsay told Computerworld Australia.

Lindsay and Badar are the directors as elected by the large companies member category which include Internode, iiNet, Optus, Yahoo, Vivid Wireless, VerizonBusiness, Facebook, AAPT, McAfee and Trend Micro.”

“As a representative of the largest Internet businesses in Australia I'm keen to help expand the membership, find viable modern business models for the legal distribution of copyright material and make the Internet a safer place to conduct business, communicate, learn and play.”

Also remaining on the board is Yahoo Asia-Pacific director Samantha Yorke, VHA general regulatory manager, Brian Currie, Baker & McKenzie lawyers Patrick Fair, Curtin University Professor Matthew Allen and AARNet chief executive, Chris Hancock.

Of Coroneos’ resignation, Lindsay said the CEO had served the Internet industry tirelessly for over thirteen years and will be missed when he steps down as CEO.

“I'm sure he will continue to have a significant role in our Industry and Association,” he said.

Follow Chloe Herrick on Twitter: @chloe_CW

Follow Computerworld Australia on Twitter: @ComputerworldAU

Join the CIO Australia group on LinkedIn. The group is open to CIOs, IT Directors, COOs, CTOs and senior IT managers.

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