The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) is the leading Internet standards body. It develops open standards through open processes with one goal in mind: to make the Internet work better. A large open international community of network designers, operators, vendors, and researchers, the IETF focuses on the evolution of the Internet architecture and the smooth operation of the Internet.

Meetings three times every year

While the work of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) happens year-round, the IETF holds in-person meetings three times a year in locations around the world. The seven-day meetings are full of activities best done face to face, including technical Working Group sessions, hackathons, an IETF Codesprint, newcomers’ training, and technical tutorials.

The Internet Architecture Board (IAB) and the Internet Research Task Force (IRTF) complement the work of the IETF by, respectively, providing long-range technical direction for Internet development and promoting research important to the Internet’s evolution.

The Internet Society provides a corporate home for the administrative entity that supports the IETF, the IAB, and the IRTF, and supports the work of these groups through a variety of programs. [Learn more in RFC 8712.]

IETF Hackathons

IETF Hackathons encourage developers to collaborate and develop utilities, ideas, sample code and solutions that show practical implementations of IETF standards.

The IETF Hackathons aim to:

• Advance the pace and relevance of IETF standards activities by bringing the speed and collaborative spirit of open source development into the IETF
• Bring developers and young people into IETF and get them exposed to and interested in IETF