The sort of assistance that a particular IXP may require will vary from IXP to IXP and naturally region to region. Some of the main areas of need are classified in the following five categories:

1. Information: including the translations of IXP related documents and manuals, diagnostic tools with localized documentation, onfiguration examples for switches, with localized documentation and localized training.

2. Experience (personnel): including hands on help at their IXP and hands on training elsewhere

Support: In certain situations the underlying factor that may be inhibiting an IXP from getting started is one of trust or government understanding.

Equipment: In some circumstances this could be the largest financial investment that an IXP will have to make to initialize the IXP. 

Financial aid: An IXP may be in need of actual cash to pay for certain required services, personnel, etc. or may ask for assistance in full or part payment of IXP related equipment or scholarships to attend regional operators conferences both locally and internationally. 

1.  Mentor-IX Program: A Euro-IX Member IXP would find, with help from Euro-IX, a ‘mentee’ IXP somewhere else in the world. This would either be a planned or already established IXP. The Member IXP would then do one or all of the following:

i.  Offer an open communication channel between IXP staff, giving IXPs direct phone extensions and e-mail addresses so as they are able to make immediate contact with IXP staff. There may also be an allowance for IXPs to gain access to restricted pages on each other sites and possibly even ‘intranet’ access.

ii.  Send one or more Member IXP representatives to the twin IXP to help out on particular issues and possibly give some training.

iii. Full or part scholarships for IXPs to attend Euro-IX Forums or other IXP related meetings around the world. This scholarship would basically cover registrations fees, accommodation and flights.

iv.  Pay Euro-IX Membership fees for the mentee IXP

2.  “Fellowship” Program: Already popular and widely used in the internet community, to allow certain individuals from planned or already established IXPs to visit Euro-IX Forums for free and possibly even have their hotel rooms paid for.

3.  Euro-IX Resource centre: 

4.  Training workshops: 

5.  Used Equipment store:  

6.  Switch courier service: 

In our entirety we are a large community of people that are spread over many parts of the globe, we travel for business to many other parts of the world and travel for leisure to even more! We keep in good communication with each other and are generally willing to help one another out. Thus we ‘may’ be able to initiate a sort of courier service for small pieces of equipment that need transportation around the world.

1.  Euro-IX IXPs: Via conducting member surveys, Euro-IX would compile a list of IXPs and their contacts, which programs they are willing to be involved in and to what extent that would participate in these programs.

2.  Euro-IX itself: Via free or heavily discounted membership fees, free admission to Euro-IX Forums, access to certain parts of the members only web pages (e.g. Switch Database).

3.  Others: Other regional Internet organizations such as SANOG, Afrinic, LACNIC etc., Switch vendors (patrons), ISP (and other IXP customers), housing locations etc.

IXPs benefits

i.  Press and marketing benefits

ii.  Localization and portability encourage clean coding practices in your tools development

iii.  Expose engineers to a greater breadth of problems than they find in their own environment

iv.  Documentation and training materials also benefit the writers

1. Political: There may be some sensitivity issues in regards to certain countries getting help from certain other countries. Thus the political situation should always be investigated to some degree beforehand.

2. Decision process: Depending on which of the suggested programs Euro-IX decides to go ahead with, there may be a certain procedure that needs to be carried out in determining which IXPs are to be helped, this may be done by the Euro-IX Executive Board, a specific committee made up of Euro-IX Member representatives or the Secretariat.

3. Best effort: It should be made clear from the start both to Euro-IX affiliates and the IXPs requiring assistance that all programs will be carried out on a ‘best effort’ basis. If other Euro-IX projects or the membership in general needs prioritisation then there is no doubt that their needs will come first.