Simon O'Toole
Simon is the co-head of the Research Data & Software group at the AAO in Macquarie University, and leads a range of software and data projects, including the Data Central Science Platform. In a former life, he was a research astronomer, studying stellar oscillations and exoplanets.
Session
The International Virtual Observatory Alliance (IVOA) develops the technical standards needed for seamless discovery of and access to astronomy data worldwide, with the goal of realizing the Virtual Observatory (VO). Founded in 2002, the IVOA was an early advocate of what are now known as Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR) principles. There are 23 member organizations, and astronomical communities from other nations have shown interest in joining the IVOA. In this paper we describe the activities of the IVOA in 2023, including the activities at the November 2022 virtual and May 2023 hybrid "interoperability meetings", engagement with the IAU, the impact of IVOA activities on the astronomy community, and its prospects for 2024 and beyond.