About NZNOG
Originally formed as a mailing list hosted by the University of Waikato and intended to provide a means of easy collaboration between ISP network operations staff, the role of the NZNOG has expanded to that of an online community of network operators, predominantly in the Internet Service Provider space, allowing for the discussion of topics of a technical and operational nature. It essentially consists of its subscriber base - it it is not an incorporated society or a legal entity of any sort.
NZNOG also run a yearly conference, during which workshops, tutorials and presentations on various topics of interest to the network operations community in New Zealand. It also provides an excellent opportunity to network with others in the industry - there is usually at least one evening which provides a catered dinner, as well as opportunity for 'Birds of a Feather' type meets.
Due to its legal status, the ongoing success of the NZNOG Conference is very much due to the enthusiastic support of its participants, being key staff of various New Zealand Internet Service Providers, IT Companies and Tertiary Institutions. In recent years highly successful NZNOG Conferences have been hosted by Victoria University of Wellington, the University of Waikato in Hamilton, and Inspire Net Ltd in Palmerston North. In 2008 the NZNOG Conference is being hosted by the ISP WIC, with the venue being Otago Museum, in Dunedin.
As an example of the role NZNOG has had in the Internet world in New Zealand, it played a major part in the formation of the first of the vendor-neutral Peering Exchanges in New Zealand - such as the Wellington Internet Exchange (WIX) and the Auckland Peering Exchange (APE).
The NZNOG mailing list remains a fairly influential aspect of the New Zealand Internet service provider community, and a useful communications channel for the participants. The annual NZNOG Conference is highly valued by the NZ Networking community as an opportunity to learn about recent happenings in the industry, and to simultaneously establish and/or maintain contact with their peers and colleagues across the Network Operations space.