The Financials of the IETF

1
The Financials of the IETF

• Current situation and the future
• Harald Alvestrand
• IETF Chair

2
IETF financing sources

• Two sources of income
• ISOC
• Pays for RFC Editor, insurance some other
  expenses in the range of USD 700-800K/year
• Meeting fees
• Pays for the meetings and the secretariat
• The work of the IANA, the IESG, the IAB and the
  IETF members is not paid for through the IETF
  process

3
Secretariat Numbers for 2002

• This does not include ISOC money

Note These numbers are UNAUDITED!
4
The reasons for changes

• Added two people to secretariat staff
• Yokohama was expensive to run
• In general, non-US costs more (Japan is
  expensive, London was even more so)
• Fewer people at the meetings
• 2001 6172 attendees
• 2002 5158 attendees

5
The Number of Attendees
6
Predicting The Future

• Assume that we can get by with present staff
  expenses (no more assistance needed)
• Assume that we get 1600 attendees per meeting
  (slight increase for future years)
• Assume that fees stay at USD 450, with the same
  number of latecomers
• Assume no new income
• Ignore inflation

7
The Likely Projection
This is not looking good. Based on more detailed
secretariat budgets. Labor and indirect costs
have been distributed appropriately between Mtg
and Other.
8
Doing Something About It (1)

• Reduce expenses
• Cut the cookies
• and pay for the meeting rooms. No cigar.
• Meet in less expensive places
• Shift more work from professional to
  voluntary
• Do work more efficiently
• Cut the terminals (already done)
• Note Sometimes lowering central meeting costs
  increases attendee costs, or vice versa.

9
Doing Something About It (2)

• Increase income
• Raise the meeting fees
• Make more people pay fees
• Not necessarily at the IETF meetings
• Ask ISOC for more money
• Get more sponsors for the meetings
• this cookie is brought to you by Acme Corp.
• Do other activites that people are willing to pay
  for
• Make the IETF an industry consortium

10
Playing with numbers

• This is a simplified spreadsheet
• Meeting fee increase needed USD 70
• Attendee increase needed 300/meeting

11
How should we decide?

• The IETF community needs to decide whats
  important to it
• The IETF Chair needs to instruct the secretariat
  on what to do
• We need to act deliberately. But soon.