Afilias, a leading global registry services provider, is advising organizations that they have only until March 29, 2012, to complete their ICANN registration to manage and run their own “dot Brand” Top Level Domains (TLD). After March 29, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) -- the Internet governing body -- will no longer accept registrations. Final proposals from registered applicants must be submitted to ICANN no later than April 12, 2012. In short, applicants must start today if they hope to complete the multi-step application process.
To assist, Afilias has launched a new video on what new TLDs mean for businesses, including key, need-to-know information about the application process. The five-minute video, featuring Roland LaPlante, Chief Marketing Officer of Afilias, is designed to help businesses decide whether or not they should apply for their own dot Brand extension.
A recent survey conducted by Afilias, in conjunction with research house Vanson Bourne, found that 82 percent of major brands in the USA and UK were aware of the opportunity to apply for a dot Brand, and 54 percent of those “aware” companies intend to apply for a dot Brand TLD. But the survey also found that 47 percent of businesses were unaware of the March 29 deadline.
dot Brand domains mark a significant change in the history of the Internet. Now, businesses can have company names, trademarks and keywords on the right side of the dot in Web addresses. Given such a momentous change in the Internet’s addressing system, the application for a dot Brand is complex. The application requires businesses to document responses to 50 questions about their planned dot Brand domain. To convince ICANN that the domain will be properly managed from a technical standpoint, 22 of those responses are technical in nature and ensure that the business can maintain the security and stability of the Internet.
By the March 29 registration deadline, applicants will be required to provide $5,000 plus key pieces of information to avoid any violations that may disqualify their application. This includes names and positions of all officers, directors and shareholders with at least a 15 percent company share for background checks. ICANN must complete these checks before granting further access to the system, and these checks take time.
Afilias Chief Marketing Officer Roland LaPlante said, “The advent of dot Brand domains presents an exciting prospect for the Internet community. However, in cases where businesses have left their applications to the last minute, they must take immediate steps to ensure that the application will meet the stringent requirements set out by ICANN. And proposed TLDs that do not jeopardize the security and stability of the Internet are more likely to be approved first.”
LaPlante continued, “For this reason, brands that apply for a new TLD with an experienced, ICANN-designated registry operator, such as Afilias -- which has already proven itself to ICANN as a trusted technical supplier -- are more likely to be front of the queue for a dot Brand domain.”
To assist, Afilias has launched a new video on what new TLDs mean for businesses, including key, need-to-know information about the application process. The five-minute video, featuring Roland LaPlante, Chief Marketing Officer of Afilias, is designed to help businesses decide whether or not they should apply for their own dot Brand extension.
A recent survey conducted by Afilias, in conjunction with research house Vanson Bourne, found that 82 percent of major brands in the USA and UK were aware of the opportunity to apply for a dot Brand, and 54 percent of those “aware” companies intend to apply for a dot Brand TLD. But the survey also found that 47 percent of businesses were unaware of the March 29 deadline.
dot Brand domains mark a significant change in the history of the Internet. Now, businesses can have company names, trademarks and keywords on the right side of the dot in Web addresses. Given such a momentous change in the Internet’s addressing system, the application for a dot Brand is complex. The application requires businesses to document responses to 50 questions about their planned dot Brand domain. To convince ICANN that the domain will be properly managed from a technical standpoint, 22 of those responses are technical in nature and ensure that the business can maintain the security and stability of the Internet.
By the March 29 registration deadline, applicants will be required to provide $5,000 plus key pieces of information to avoid any violations that may disqualify their application. This includes names and positions of all officers, directors and shareholders with at least a 15 percent company share for background checks. ICANN must complete these checks before granting further access to the system, and these checks take time.
Afilias Chief Marketing Officer Roland LaPlante said, “The advent of dot Brand domains presents an exciting prospect for the Internet community. However, in cases where businesses have left their applications to the last minute, they must take immediate steps to ensure that the application will meet the stringent requirements set out by ICANN. And proposed TLDs that do not jeopardize the security and stability of the Internet are more likely to be approved first.”
LaPlante continued, “For this reason, brands that apply for a new TLD with an experienced, ICANN-designated registry operator, such as Afilias -- which has already proven itself to ICANN as a trusted technical supplier -- are more likely to be front of the queue for a dot Brand domain.”
