IK1075 is a new protocol form, developed by the ICHO and a number of other commerical and non-profit organizations.

The protocol basically converts words and phrases into internet addresses (and vice versa), it was developed during the last days of Realnames, and so benefited greatly from that former companies experience in the area.

The major difference between the Realnames protocol and IK1075 appears to be the fact that 1075 is OPEN. This means that anyone can use it, from a single software developer to large corporations, without license fees.

The protocols also allows for minor enhancements to be made to each version, denoted by a suffix (for example ik1075-ae). These minor enhancements greatly increase the ability of companies to create their own customized versions for use with their existing software products and functions, without needing to upgrade.

End users of ik1075 currently include Dell, Yahoo and even the Bank of England, and developers include small companies like FlashPeak to mamooths like Convera and Verity (and formerly Inktomi).

It is important to stress that the protocol is still in its early days, but has already proved very useful in the area of integrated search and navigation, easily bridging the two areas.