The International Virtual Observatory Alliance (IVOA) was
formed in June 2002 with a mission to facilitate the
international coordination and collaboration necessary for the
development and deployment of the tools, systems and
organizational structures necessary to enable the
international utilization of astronomical archives as an
integrated and interoperating virtual observatory. By January
2005, the IVOA has grown to include 15 funded VO projects from
Australia, Canada, China, Europe, France, Germany, Hungary,
India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom,
and the United States. This membership is now being expanded
to include representation from projects constructing and
planning new observatories and astronomical facilities, as
well as emerging astronomical communities that seek to benefit
from the global availability of VO facilities and
technologies.
