Domain names set for a makeover

With nearly 2.09 billion global users and 100 million users in India, the internet has come to play a central role in our social and economic lives. We use social networking to keep in touch with friends and family; we use search engines to locate information; we shop, bank and arrange vacations online. The internet?s pervasiveness can make us wonder how we went about our daily lives before the existence of this medium.

Just like every major invention before it?the telephone and automobile for example, the internet too has evolved and changed over the years. The year 2012 will be significant as it is remembered for one such profound change?the introduction of new generic top level domains (new gTLDs) that are set to revolutionise the domain name addressing system as we know it.

For more than 25 years now, the world has been familiar with gTLDs and country code TLDs. TLDs are the collections of internet real estate and are represented by the characters on the right side of the ?dot? in a domain name.

An example of this is .com, which is the most popular gTLD3 in use today while examples of ccTLDs include .in, .ru, .au among the approximately 250 cc TLDs that exist.

This structure of the domain name space as we know it today is poised to undergo a profound change with the launch of new gTLDS. New gTLDs are a result of a recent approval by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to expand the number of gTLDs. Under the programme, applicants and/or entities themselves can define their gTLD which could be a brand, community, geography or a generic term. For example, a business could apply for its own new gTLD such as ?.yourcompany?.

With the launch of new gTLDs, the internet?s naming system will be limited only by the human imagination. Internet address names will be able to end with almost any word in any language using any script. New gTLDs will offer organisations, cities and communities around the world with unprecedented opportunities to acquire their very own new gTLD to market their brand, products, community or cause in new and innovative ways. New gTLDs will change the way people find information on the internet and how businesses plan and structure their online presence. New gTLDs are expected to be organised across four main types:

Geographic: Geographic gTLDs may enable cities and regions to promote greater recognition of their area, potentially generate additional revenue, and better serve constituents.

Example of a geographic gTLD is ?.hyderabad?.

Brand: Brand gTLDs may provide an excellent opportunity for corporations to secure their online namespace. A brand gTLD?for example, ?.yourcompany??could potentially provide a means for brand owners to create new ways to extend their trusted brand and services to partners, resellers, and customers, enhance brand trust and protect their brands and trademarks.

Community: Consortia of like-minded organisations that share common missions, goals, and challenges may wish to apply for community gTLDs to better promote, protect, guide, and serve their communities.

Generic terms: Forward-thinking organisations and innovative entrepreneurs are likely to apply for generic term gTLDs so that they can pursue new business opportunities or build their online presence. Examples include ?.internet? or ?.food?.

ICANN has announced that they will begin taking applications for new gTLDs in January of 20124. The application period will have a limited time window, and once it is closed anyone who missed the application deadline will have to possibly wait more than a year before another application window opens. ICANN will process all the applications, address any disputes and then add the gTLDs that have been approved to the internet root, enabling any second-level domain names registered on that domain to go live, sometime in the latter part of 2012 or early 2013.

Given the timelines for application, it becomes critical for potential applicants to develop their own strategy of how a new gTLD can extend their brand, community or city, while considering the cost-benefit and IP risk analysis of engaging in the new gTLD program. Taking a fully informed decision of whether they wish to be a first mover or a follower regarding their own potential new gTLD is critical for applicants at this stage.

Applicants for any new gTLD will be required to demonstrate organisational, operational, and financial capability. The complexity of the application process may necessitate working with an experienced registry service provider. As the world?s largest registry, Verisign has an extensive history in operating the world?s best-known extensions, .com and .net, and can help organisations throughout the entire application process.

The internet is changing, and it will have a profound effect on the way that people interact and do business in the future. With the introduction of new gTLDs, organisations will have to consider extending their online strategy.

A domain name strategy is quickly becoming critical for any organisation conducting business or wanting to engage customers online. Ignoring the profound impact of the rapid evolution of the internet could turn out to be a missed opportunity to extend their brand deeper into the internet.

The writer is managing director,Verisign India