ICANN says new Domain Name applications going smoothly

Marina del Rey, California… One week after the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) began accepting applications for new generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs), the application system is said to be functioning without a hitch.

“I can state firmly that one week into the process, the application system for the new domain names is functioning just as it should,” said Rod Beckstrom, ICANN’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “This is a reflection of the careful planning, hard work and long hours our staff spent preparing for last week’s launch.”

At one minute past midnight (UTC) on Thursday, 12 January, ICANN began accepting applications for new generic Top-Level Domains, beginning one of the biggest changes in the Internet’s evolution.

The new program will greatly expand the current 22 Top-Level Domains (such as .com, .gov and .net) to include almost any word or name. It also allows, for the first time, non-Latin language scripts such as Arabic, Chinese and Cyrillic to be used in a gTLD.

“I couldn’t be more pleased,” said Michael Salazar, Director of the New gTLD program. “ICANN spent six years working to ensure it got this program right and we worked particularly hard to make certain the application portion of the program went smoothly.”

As of today, there are 25 successful registrants in the online TLD Application System. However, this number does not necessarily represent the total number of applications since each registrant can apply for up to 50 new generic Top-Level Domains.

The deadline to register in the TLD Application System is 29 March. If applicants are not registered in the system by that date, they will be unable to apply.

In early May, approximately two weeks after the new gTLD application window closes, ICANN will publish a list of the applications and who has applied for which domain name. Until then, ICANN will not comment publicly about any specific application, the total number of applications received, or who has submitted applications.

Initial processing of the applications is expected to be completed in mid-November 2012 and the first new generic Top-Level Domains are expected to be online sometime in early 2013.

If you’re thinking of applying for your own gTLD, be aware that, at a cost of $185,000 (£120,000) just to apply, obtaining one of the new names is a serious financial commitment!

ICANN approves historic change to Domain Name System

ICANN’s Board of Directors has approved a plan to usher in one of the biggest changes ever to the Internet’s Domain Name System.

During a special meeting, the Board approved a plan to allow an increase in the number of Internet address endings – called generic top-level domains (gTLDs) – from the current 22, which includes such familiar domains as .com, .org and .net.

“ICANN has opened the Internet’s naming system to unleash the global human imagination. Today’s decision respects the rights of groups to create new Top Level Domains in any language or script. We hope this allows the domain name system to better serve all of mankind,” said Rod Beckstrom, President and Chief Executive Officer of ICANN.

New gTLDs will change the way people find information on the Internet and how businesses plan and structure their online presence. Virtually every organization with an online presence could be affected in some way.

Internet address names will be able to end with almost any word in any language, offering organizations around the world the opportunity to market their brand, products, community or cause in new and innovative ways.

“Today’s decision will usher in a new Internet age,” said Peter Dengate Thrush, Chairman of ICANN’s Board of Directors. “We have provided a platform for the next generation of creativity and inspiration.”

The decision to proceed with the gTLD program follows many years of discussion, debate and deliberation with the Internet community, business groups and governments. Strong efforts were made to address the concerns of all interested parties, and to ensure that the security, stability and resiliency of the Internet are not compromised.

ICANN will soon begin a global communications program to tell the world about this dramatic change in Internet names and to raise awareness of the opportunities afforded by new gTLDs. The application process will also use this period to elaborate on what is involved in applying for a new generic top-level domain.

Under the plan, new gTLDs applications to be accepted beginning on January 12.

The decision to launch the new gTLD program raised the curtain on ICANN’s 41st public meeting, taking place in Singapore. It is just one of the issues that will dominate the weeklong meeting.

On Wednesday, the focus will turn to cyber security with the inauguration in Singapore of a specially built “hardened” facility, the first of three around the world that are helping to secure the domain names of all countries.

The Singapore meeting will continue through the week and conclude on Friday with a public meeting of the Board of Directors.

ICANN’s mission is to ensure a stable, secure and unified global Internet. To reach another person on the Internet you have to type an address into your computer – a name or a number. That address has to be unique so computers know where to find each other. ICANN coordinates these unique identifiers across the world. Without that coordination we wouldn’t have one global Internet. ICANN was formed in 1998. It is a not-for-profit public-benefit corporation with participants from all over the world dedicated to keeping the Internet secure, stable and interoperable. It promotes competition and develops policy on the Internet’s unique identifiers. ICANN doesn’t control content on the Internet. It cannot stop spam and it doesn’t deal with access to the Internet. But through its coordination role of the Internet’s naming system, it does have an important impact on the expansion and evolution of the Internet. For more information please visit: www.icann.org.