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Registrars have the opportunity to fundamentally change the landscape of the Internet's security infrastructure by working to close the DNSSEC functionality gap. Virtually everything every Internet user does on the Internet depends on the DNS. DNSSEC is not just about protecting the DNS, it is about building a secure infrastructure foundation upon which new and innovative services and applications can be built to benefit us all. Registrars are the linchpins to advancing the deployment of DNSSEC. more
The new TLD program was a long time coming and now we have over 600 options for domain name endings, with more on the way. It made sense to a lot of people that options other than the already crowded .com space were needed but did we really envisage the plethora of ultimately "similar" TLDs that would rise from the ICANN process? more
Afilias, headquartered in Dublin, is set to float on AIM with new shares issued by the company expected to raise approximately $100m. Hal Lubsen, Chief Executive Officer of Afilias says: "Today's announcement is an important step in the next phase of our growth, as we look to be a key player in the new programme of TLDs, and make selective acquisitions to increase the breadth and depth of our services and reach." more
ICANN have taken a solid stance in regards to contention sets, with those yet to be resolved soon to be forced into auctions of last resort in the coming months. As expected, this has increased the velocity of private settlements between applicants, either via deals or private auctions. It seems like most applicants (wisely) don't want to see their funds going into ICANN coffers unnecessarily. more
Whenever I examine the technical elements of the various Internet security certifications and standards that organisations are clamouring to achieve compliance against, I can't help but feel that in too many cases those businesses are prioritising the wrong things and wasting valuable resources. They may as well be following a WWI field guide on how to keep cavalry horses nourished and bayonets polished in a world of stealth aircraft and dirty bombs. more
This post outlines location factors that make the online world not as flat as some have claimed. I then outline the impact of these factors on the demand for new gTLDs. Domain names can signal geography by means of country-code Top Level Domains (ccTLDs) and new generic TLDs (gTLDs). Location is back in the spotlight for reasons laid out by Professor David R. Bell of the Wharton School in his recent book. more
On September 22, 2014, ICANN published an analysis of the review and assessment work that remains to be done before a new round of gTLD (generic Top Level Domain) applications can be initiated. According to the document, 2016 is the earliest a call for the next lot of applications to operate an Internet suffix could come. To many, a subsequent application window so soon after the 2012 round seems unrealistic. more
According to the latest DomainWire, CENTR's quarterly report, european ccTLDs closed August 2014 with 66.5 million registrations -- a net growth of 0.3% over the past 3 months. Chart below shows growth rates (3m averages) for both European ccTLDs and legacy gTLDs over the past 12 months. It suggests a continued trend downward of both TLD types with a stabilization observed since July. more
This post outlines a typical information-gathering process for online purchasing decisions and demonstrates why a different approach is needed when buying a domain name. Huge amounts of product information are now publicly available on the Internet. When buying most products, consumers rely on that wealth of information. About 70% of consumers make online reviews a key part of their buying choices, according to a 2012 Nielsen survey. more
Four of the top ten registrars in the world are not part of the nTLD, says AFNIC in a report released this month. More agile challengers are taking advantage of this situation. "Over and above these methodological considerations, one certain conclusion is that the cards are being reshuffled between the stakeholders. 'Challengers' are arriving thanks to nTLDs, while some incumbents seem slower in taking advantage of these new, still-emerging markets with their 2 million registered domain names compared with a world total of 276 million." more
This post outlines the advantages (good) and threats (bad) that can make or break a gTLD, and the eternal fact that some applications will doom themselves to failure (ugly). The Good... Waiting until the second round to apply for a gTLD may end up being a virtue for the following reasons... more
This post outlines some faulty decisions by new gTLD registries. The purpose is to guide future expansions and, hopefully, adjust some of the decisions that current registries have adopted, including demand prediction, pricing, marketing, doing good versus not doing good, and launch date... GTLDs that have no competition do not need to race to launch. They have the luxury of waiting to better assess prices and postpone investments in capacity. more
The success of the new gTLDs program depends on the actions of the winning registries and on ICANN's allocation policies for the second round of applications. A successful landscape would be dominated by only a few registries but would be less confusing for users. The major players: businesses and Internet users who drive the demand for the gTLDs; the registries who own and run the gTLDs; and ICANN, which sets the rules for determining a winner for each new gTLD. more
The essay outlines the necessary success factors for a niche search engine and raises doubt regarding the role of .Branding in niche engines' success. Some search engines want to target a niche market, not Google. Unlike Google, they're targeted and they are profitable that way. Consider Kayak (travel), Zillow (real estate), Yelp (reviews), and .xxx (adult websites). more
On August 27, 2014, the world became a bit more connected as the Internet welcomed more than 400 million Hindi language speakers in their own language. .???? (.Bharat), which means India in the Hindi language, was inaugurated on August 27 in New Delhi by Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad, India's Minister of Law & Justice and Communications & Information Technology. more
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