ICANN will manage the time zone database.

As of October 14, ICANN took over management of the Internet Time Zone Database.

This database is used by many operating systems and applications to determine the exact time (Linux, Unix, Mac OS X, Oracle, Python, Perl, Java, PHP, PostgreSQL).

ICANN will manage this database after receiving a proposal from the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).

The Time Zone Database stores time zone data and codes. Changes to the database occur throughout the year. A large number of commercial operating systems and software applications synchronize with the Time Zone Database.

Until recently, the Time Zone Database was managed by a group of volunteers led by Arthur David Olson of the US National Institutes of Health. Olson recently announced his resignation and proposed asking ICANN to ensure the database's continued operation.