2008 Q1 Report VRM

Project VRM has been busy, busy, busy since the last report.

The London Chapter, incorporating most of our European effort, has been holding monthly meetings (see http://vrmhub.pbwiki.com/). These meetings span the internal (as code is written and projects moved forward) and external, introduciung and clarifying VRM to interested parties, businesses, entities and individuals. The London group has been a bundle of energy and remains focused on the tasks at hand: to expand and educate and develop VRM.

Stateside the subcommittees formed in the VRM Moutainview meeting have been hard at work, as well.

The Vision Committee ("Define/Advocate Clear Vision for VRM Worldwide")has been gathering data and putting together statements and some papers. In addition, a special Wiki Page for development and definition has been a result. This is still in somewhatof an alpha state, but we expect to anounce this to the public at large in the next quarter.

The Standards Committee has been hard at work on establishing the framework and definitions which will allow interoperability. As many in the Identity world know, establishing standards and the work involved in definition and specifics is no mean feat. Significant progress has been made in this area.

The Project VRM initial test case, Change of Address, has been given the name Personal Address Management (PAM). Change of address is universal, occurs throughout and across all demographic, economic and geographic boundaries, and occurs with a frequency that few other events attain. Further, change of address has impact on commerical and non commercial interests, which sheds light and value on the "non-CRM" aspect of VRM.

In more news from Europe, we were notified last week that Project VRM has been nominated for the Top 3 Projects in the category "Special Award" for the European Identity Awards. This will occur at the 2nd European Identity Conference later this month. Just prior to that will be the first European VRM Conference, held in Munich April 21 and 22. Doc Searls will attend, and will be speaking at the European ID conference, as well.

Members of the Project VRM Steering Committee will be attending the IIW in May, and there will be some presentations and brainstorming sessions around PAm and other matters.

We are working on a VRM conference for July or August (date to be determined shortly), to be hosted by The Berkman Center, held at or nearby the Harvard campus.