John,
It would have been pretty amazing if they awarded it to anyone else, given the extremely specialized knowledge involved. I agree that it's really hard to tell what the point of the exercise was.
You know that Verisign implements the changes recommended by the IANA after the DoC approves the IANA recommended change to the root zone. Had Verisign chosen to tender a competitive bid, factors other than the extremely specialized knowledge of the incumbent contractor would have been determinative. Similarly, had the North American Numbering Plan Administrator (and also the .US operator) chosen to tender a competitive bid, again, factors other than the extremely specialized knowledge of the incumbent contractor would have been determinative. I didn't expect VGRS to risk an increase of the the competition policy interest of the DoJ for a minor dollar value contract. Nor did I expect NeuStar to risk its 2012 round gTLD applications -- own and tenant -- for a minor dollar value contract. I suggest that "the point of the exercise" was: 1. establish that the contract for the IANA Functions is severable from all other roles of the government contractor currently responsible for address and names policy coordination, and rules for the allocations, uses, and recovery of addresses and names; 2. inform the de facto sole source provider of address and names policy coordination, and rules for the allocations, uses, and recovery of addresses and names, of certain long-standing deficiencies in its performance; 3. inform other governments that the period of administrative delay in changes to A and NS records in the IANA root zone file for the purpose of compelling obligations from foreign governments to the current contractor is definitively ended, with metrics in place to detect administrative, and other sources of delay(s). See #2, supra; 4. provide a 36 month notice to potential competitive providers of address and names policy coordination, and rules for the allocations, uses, and recovery of addresses and names, ensuring the government the best effort of the current contractor during the tender period, or a prepared, alternative contractor during the subsequent contract period. Thanks for the comment. Eric Brunner-Williams Candidate, NARALO ALAC Rep. election 2012