The Landrush for the innovative new top level domain name .tel, trademark owners have a limited time to apply for their domain name before applications open to everyone in two weeks time.

Everyone will be able to buy a .tel domain name from 3.00 p.m. GMT on Tuesday 3rd February 2009, enabling everyone to have one secure and easy-to-manage address for life which they own and where people will be able to view from any device connected to the internet and contact them with simple ‘click to communicate’ functionality using any and all existing communications types. As no web hosting, web development or deep level of technical expertise is required, .tel domain name are a revolution in the use of domain names and internet publishing and ideal for individuals and small businesses with limited resources.

.tel domain name have gained significant interest from the mainstream media in the run-up to this significant launch date, including:

• “The Google of online phone books” Michal Lev-Ram, CNN/Fortune
• “The new domain, which stores and encrypts contact information directly into the Domain Name System, has the potential to become a phone book for the Internet.” Danielle Belopotosky, New York Times
• “Telnic’s approach is revolutionary” Jennifer L. Schenker, BusinessWeek
• “Think of .tel as a ‘live’ global white/yellow pages directory or communications hub that crucially leaves control of the contact and other information in the hands of the domain owner who can set different levels of access for different visitors.” Paul Taylor, Financial Times
• “It’s the mother of all telephone books” Dean Takahashi, VentureBeat

With over 120 ICANN-accredited registrars signed up with Telnic, levels of pre-orders (applications for .tel domain names taken by registrars to submit the instant Landrush commences) are being called ‘unprecedented’ by some in the registrar community.

The 2nd level domain name of netcom.com, the .cm registry, have start accepting sunrise applications for the 2nd level .cm domain names at 10 a.m. UTC on October 15, 2008. In this phase, domain name registrations, permitted in the com.cm, net.cm and co.cm name spaces, will be open for trademark holders worldwide. (.com.cm is the Country Code Top Level Domain of the Republic of Cameroon)

The president of netcom, said, “during the past weeks, preparations have been being finalized to ensure that the highly anticipated .cm domain name launch is a success. This is a very exciting time for netcom, as we now finally have the opportunity to promote our name space to the world. With absolute delight, netcom is pleased to have the .cm domain name space launch into a new era.”

“Without the tireless work put in by our partners, this launch would not be possible. I personally wish to thank the National Agency for Information Technology and Communication (ANTIC), Instra Corporation (Registrar and Validation Agent for Sunrise Application) and Council of Country Code Administrators (CoCCA). We are also quite impressed by the public interest we have received about this forthcoming launch.” said Mr. Moustapha Saya Kaigama (The president of netcom).

Due to .cm domain name’s close resemblance to the most popular Country Code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) name space in the world — .cm of China — significant type-in traffic can be expected. Up to today, netcom has formed a prestigious team of accredited registrars including Instra Corporation, IP Mirror, Ascio, EnCirca, CSC, Register.IT and MarcaRia.com.

.cm sunrise period will closed on October 31st, 2008. Following is the challenge period of Sunrise applications. General registration period kicks off on November 15th, 2008, providing opportunities to all audiences throughout the world.

For all netcom policies, including the registrar accreditation process, Sunrise rules, and registration regulations, please visit .netcom.cm

Netcom was founded in 2008, netcom.cm Sarl is the official registry for the Country Code Top Level Domain of the Republic of Cameroon.

Netcom is committed to providing cutting-edge IP services to Central Africa including countries such as Cameroon, Niger, Gabon, Chad, Burkina Faso and more.

Apart from Domain Name Registrations, netcom is embracing new technologies such as ENUM over WiMAX into remote African areas.

Launch Timetable
15 Oct 08 – Sunrise period opens (for those with registered trademarks to apply)

31 Oct 08 – Sunrise period closes

1 Nov 2008 – to 14 Nov 208 Sunrise challenge period

15 Nov 2008 General registrations begin on a first-come-first-served basis

.org domain name extension to become the most secure domain name on the net going by the words of (PIR). The Public Interest Registry (PIR) gTLD (generic top level domain) is perhaps best known as the non-profit registry for millions of organizations. It could also soon be known as a more secure domain space too, as .org adopts the DNSSEC (DNS Security Extensions), a set of extensions used to add an additional layer of security to the Domain Name System (DNS).

The move by .org to improve security for its DNS (which usually stands for Domain Name System, or Service or Server, the service that translates domain names into IP addresses) comes at a critical time for the world’s DNS infrastructure.

Security researcher Dan Kaminsky recently exposed a critical flaw in the DNS system, for which DNSSEC may well be the best long term solution for protecting the integrity of Internet and its traffic flow.

“Efforts are going really well, this is not a product launch but an iterative rollout,” Raad said. “We’re the first gTLD to implement DNSSEC and we are breaking it out into several phases, with the first phase being friends and family. So far we have been able to talk to a number of registrars that are interested a number of whom are large hosting vendors. “

.asia registry announced the successful completion of the .Asia Sunrise and Landrush auctions. Domains receiving multiple qualified applications in the respective Sunrise and Landrush phases were allocated through an auction system. The process proved to be a vast improvement of the dispute ridden pure first-come-first-served approach, and has provided a strong foundation for growth for the .asia domain name.

The top ten auctions include the following:

discover.asia ________________ $112,111
sex.asia ____________________  $83334
buy.asia_____________________ $73000
sexshop.asia ________________ $53607

gold.asia____________________ $46602

models.asia_________________ $41009
homes.asia__________________$40000
gifts.asia____________________$38003
book.asia___________________ $34005

apartments.asia______________$31000

“We set out to implement a stable and orderly introduction of the .asia domain name into the social and technical fabric of the Internet. I believe we have accomplished our goal, says Edmon Chung, CEO of DotAsia Organisation. “The .asia startup phases were completed with zero disputes arising out of the process. The successful first-of-its-kind launch has also helped build a strong foundation for growth and value of .asia domain names. We already see regional events as well as small and large companies utilize the .asia domain name to reach the Asia market.

The .asia domain name was approved by ICANN on December 6^th, 2006, and the DotASIA organization is now actively promoting the .asia domain name for the 73 Asian countries.

Asia Registry is ideally positioned to provide you with instant updates on the asia news and developments.

ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers has approved the creation of a new Top Level Domain (TLD) for use on the Internet – .tel. The new domain name is aimed primarily at telecoms providers. The .tel domain name was approved by ICANN on May 2006 and it is sponored by telnic. The .tel is a service that allows individuals and businesses alike to store and manage all their contact information and keywords directly in the DNS without the need to build, host or manage a website.

The idea is for people to use .tel domain name as a way of communicating directly with the person or company behind a particular Web site, using technologies such as voice over Internet Protocol, e-mail or Short Message Service (SMS). Telnic used some examples of the domain name like: OdurindeLuqman.tel or VelnetWeb.tel.

“The .tel domain name offers the first genuinely different use of domains since .com was first created. It will provide seamless integration of existing methods of communication, with emerging technologies like voice over IP,” Telnic’s chief executive, Khashayar Mahdavi, said in a statement.

“The days of needing to remember several telephone numbers, numerous VoIP or instant message identities and other points of contact for our social and professional networks are over. By leveraging innovative DNS (Domain Name System) technology, the .tel domain will allow anyone to publish and control, in real time, how they can be reached,” Mahdavi said.

With less than 125 days to the launch the domain name, EuroDNS.com has become the first ICANN-accredited re-seller of  .tel domain name registrar.

The launch schedule for the .tel domain name is as follows:
Sunrise:

• Timing – Sunrise opens at 15:00 GMT on 3rd December, 2008 and closes 23:59 GMT on 2nd February, 2009. Applications will only be accepted from ICANN accredited registrars.

• Eligibility – Owners and licensees of trademarks registered with national effect may apply. Trademarks must have been applied for prior to 30th May, 2008 and registered prior to 3rd December, 2008. Applications may be based on both word and figurative (device) marks that consist exclusively or predominantly of words.

• Selection method – The selection method is first-come, first-served. The Validation Agent will review applications for conformity with the Sunrise Policy.

• Reconsideration – If an application is rejected, the applicant will have 10 days to file an appeal. If an application is accepted, third parties will have 10 days to file a challenge.

• Sunrise Policy – Registrations during Sunrise are subject to the standard registration conditions contained in Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) and the Sunrise Policy provided below.

Landrush:

• Timing – Landrush opens at 15:00 GMT on 3rd February, 2009 and closes at 23:59 GMT on 23rd March, 2009. Applications will only be accepted through ICANN accredited registrars.

• Eligibility – Open to everyone. Any domain that is not registered during Sunrise will be eligible for Landrush registration at a premium price.

• Selection Method – The selection method is first-come, first-served. There is no validation involved.

• Landrush Policy – Registrations during Landrush are subject to the standard registration conditions contained in the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP).

General Availability:

• Timing – General availability opens at 15:00 GMT on 24 March 2009. Applications will only be accepted through ICANN accredited registrars.

• Eligibility – Open to everyone

• Selection Method -  The selection method is first-come, first-served. There is no validation involved.

• General Availability Policy – Registrations during General Availability are subject to the standard registration conditions contained in the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)

For details information about .tel domain name, registration schedule and procedure, please check telnic.org

The .me domain name is off to a great start with over 30,000 domain name applications received to date, the domain name company has announced. The country’s extension – whose slogan is “.me is about YOU!” holds a lot of value due to the potential for personalization.

The company announced that the next round of registration, functioning on a first-come, first-serve basis, would start on July 17, during which all available domains would be awarded to the first bidders that meet required conditions. 

The General Sunrise Period began in May, when only trademark owners could have applied for their .me domain. .me domain names that receive more than one application will be awarded through an auction process. .me is expected to be utilized as a personalized Web address and as a catchy business marketing tool around the world. The .me Landrush (pre-registration) period began in early June, and Open Registration is set to begin on a first-come, first-served basis in mid-July. Two-year minimums are required on all .me domain names registered during the Landrush and initial Open Registration periods.

Open registration of the domain names, on a first-come, first-served basis will stat on 17 of his month.

More than 80 different accredited registrars from 24 countries are receiving the applications.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), Internet global regulatory body, has announced that just anything, anywhere including individuals and commodities can now apply for and obtain a top level domain name. Before, securing an Internal domain name was a long and painful process. But ICANN rose from its yearly general meeting in Paris, France, with a full liberalisation of the Internet in order to make it available, accessible to many more people. Specifically, all bottlenecks associated with such registration in the past have been removed. It will be a free for all from now and there will be no language or cultural barriers. But henceforth, registration by such domain names will attract a fee of $100,000.

The decision was based on its stockholder’s worldwide, consultation. Scripts other than Latin which were not originally permitted on the Internet could now make free inroads into the information superhighway. These languages include, but are not limited to, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic and Cyrillic. If this sails through, the Internet will now be more accessible to people in the Middle East and Asia.

Until now top-level domain names— the .com or .uk at the end of a web address — have been restricted by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann), the international not-for-profit body set up in 1998 to to oversee the structure of the internet and maintain its stability. Icann regulates the way web addresses are assigned to ensure that computers can communicate with each other.

The free-for-all agreed in Paris yesterday is seen as a great leap forward akin to the privatisation of telecommunications in the Thatcher era. Icann is not being forced to act because of there are not enough name options, but because it wants to open up the system to increase consumer choice.

Most web addresses in Britain have the suffix .uk. The most popular top level domain name in the world is .com and there are about another 20 possibilities such as .org or .net. Every country has a country code domain name such as .de (Germany) and .fr (France). Now the possibilities are endless and the new names could range from place names to commodities.

Paul Twomey, the chief executive of Icann, said: “It’s a massive increase in the real estate of the internet. It will allow groups, communities and businesses to express their identities online.”

A new and very promising toplevel domain is about to be launched – .me. This tld obviously allows very interesting offers – it is the first really “personal” tld on the market.

There will be no restrictions in regard of registrant’s residence or other contact policies.
The Landrush begins on June, 6th, 15:00 UTC and ends on June, 26th, 17:00 UTC. And many multinationals industries and individual has filed multiple domain name registrations for the .me domain offered by Montenegro.

The .me registry says it has received thousands of domain name registrations in the first week of availability. Applicants include tech industry leaders such as Apple -which registered apple.me, ipod.me and itunes.me – as well as Microsoft, Skype and Digg. Other multinationals that have registered .me names include MTV and BMW.

Trademark-holders have until 20 May to register their company and product names under the new .me domain, which is being marketed as a generic top-level domain by the country of Montenegro. Afilias, which handles back-end registrations for .me, predicts the domain will have widespread appeal.

“The .me extension gives every company on the planet the opportunity to personalize their brands…and make them more relevant to today’s Internet-savvy teens,” says Roland LaPlante, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Afilias. “Companies should be registering .me names not just from an intellectual property protection standpoint, but because there is so much business opportunity to personalise products.”

Predrag Lesic, CEO of the .me registry in Montenegro, says the new internet extension will appeal not only in English-speaking countries but also across the former Yugoslavia, Italy and Spanish-speaking countries, where the letters “me” have a similar meaning as in English.

“We think .me can offer a new business around domain names with verbs,” Lesic says, such as drive.me or fly.me. “This is the start of a new opportunity on the internet.”

The last time a country tried to market its country code extension as a generic domain name was the tiny island nation Tuvulu, which runs the .tv registry. Although .tv names have been available for a decade and have been marketed by VeriSign for online video content, the .tv extension is not among the 10 most popular country code top-level domains.

“I think .tv is starting to get some traction,” LaPlante says. “But .me’s appeal is more immediate and a lot more obvious to people…It should sell well into the millions. And it has corporate appeal not just for TV stations, which are limited in number.”

Companies will need to pay a sizeable sum for a .me name. The retail price for .me names range from 110 to 200 Euros per year for a minimum of five years. That equals $825 to $1,500 for the five-year registration.

In contrast, .com names cost around $10 per year, and .tv names cost around $18 per year.

Companies can reserve .me names from more than 60 domain name registrars companies. Anyone can register a .me name from 6 June through 26 June. The .me registry is scheduled to go live on July 17.

Sunrise of .Me

The current schedule for the launch of .Me is as follows:

• May, 6th 17:00 UTC – May 20th 17:00: General Sunrise (Trademark Owners)
• June, 6th 15:00 UTC – June 26th, 17:00 UTC:: Landrush
• July, 17th 15:00 UTC: Start of regular registrations

Some facts about Sunrise (from May, 6th on):

• Trademark Owners are invited to apply for domains matching their trademarks
• The application date for these trademarks has to be before 2006-06-28
• The minimum registration period is 5 years
• Domain names will be awarded at the end of Sunrise
• No first-come, first served – the order of applications is not important, there’s no advantage in “being the first”
• Domains with more than one application are automatically enrolled for an auction process, invitations will be sent by email

Some facts about Landrush (from June, 6th on):

• Anyone is eligible to apply for a domain
• The minimum registration period is 2 years
• Domain names will be awarded at the end of Landrush
• No first-come, first served – the order of applications is not important, there’s no advantage in “being the first”
• Domains with more than one application are automatically enrolled for an auction process, invitations will be sent by email

Excitement over Sedo-run auction generates record-breaking revenue, led by sale of music.mobi for $616,000 and games.mobi for $401,500

dotMobi, the company behind the .mobi Internet domain for mobile phones, closed its 2007 online auction series on December 5 with a record-breaking auction that generated approximately $2.3 million for the continued creation of mobile content tools like dotMobi’s popular http://ready.mobi and http://site.mobi tools and its forthcoming device database. (more…)

Tucows Inc. , a leading provider of Internet services to web hosting companies and ISPs worldwide, today officially launched its domain parking programs that will share over $1 million in revenues with Tucows resellers over the next 12 months. The two programs, Parked Pages Program and Expired Domains Program, offer additional sources of revenue to resellers, including a slice of the growing domain name re-sale market through a share of Tucows Premium Domains service sales revenues.

Tucows domain parking programs generate additional revenues through the automatic serving of targeted pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. In the case of the Parked Pages Program, ads are displayed on unused domain names, while the Expired Domains Program serves advertising on domain names that have expired. Under the terms of these programs, Tucows offers a 50-50 split of all net advertising revenue with the reseller. (more…)