ICANN is issuing today a Request for Proposal (RFP) [PDF, 104 KB] to identify a Global Background Screening Service Provider capable of generating a thorough and timely background check for all new generic Top Level Domain Applicants. After extensive discussion, debates, and deliberations over the past several years with the business groups, trademark owners, governments, and the Internet community at-large, ICANN’s Board of Directors have approved the plan to allow entities to apply for new top-level domains through the new gTLD program.  The number of generic top-level domains, (there are 22 in existence today and include familiar names such as .com, .net, and .org), are expected to dramatically expand over the next several years. Based on extensive community feedback regarding a safe and stable new gTLD launch, ICANN has committed to conducting an extensive background screening of each applicant. The new gTLD program is designed with multiple stakeholder protection mechanisms.  Background screening, features of the gTLD Registry Agreement, easy access to zone file data, and data and financial escrow mechanisms are all intended to provide registrant and user protections.  The scope of the background screening is expected to cover, at a minimum, the entity applying, key directors, officers, partners, and major shareholders of that entity. The new gTLD program is expected start accepting applications in January 2012, and receive a diverse set of applications from all over the world.  Ensuring that applicants have the intention to operate the new gTLDs in the public interest and in compliance with the program requirements is of utmost concern.  Conducting a thorough and timely background check on each applicant is an important component of the ICANN’s application approval process. Respondents are requested to respond to this RFP by replying to: BackgroundScreeningRFP@icann.org . The period to submit questions about the RFP will close on 13 September 2011. ICANN will provide answers to all questions submitted to all respondents by 22 September 2011. The final response to the RFP is due on 4 October 2011. This ICANN announcement was sourced from: www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-30aug11-en.htm

Adrian Kinderis, CEO of AusRegistry International, explains how entrepreneurs and brands can get a slice of the $5 billion domain name industry through the new Top-Level Domain program. In January next year a revolution is set to usher in the most expansive and fundamental change to the Internet in its history. The new Top-Level Domain Program, administered by ICANN, will see web addresses move beyond the traditional .com to .anything in a dramatic shift that will introduce a new platform for creativity and major new revenue streams for online investment. For those not aware, the program will allow brands, entrepreneurs and governments to apply for their own version of .com – moving from pepsi.com to .pepsi for example – and secure a unique slice of Internet real-estate that will dramatically change the way Internet users around the world navigate to find content online. For more information, here is a video of an interview I did with Bloomberg Television about the program. So, now that I’ve got you interested, you’re probably thinking about the best way you can gain a slice of the $5 billion dollar domain name industry. You might be an entrepreneur out to make your next million or a brand looking to make a statement of leadership in the digital space. Here are my top six tips on how you can take advantage of this billion dollar opportunity and own a trusted, regulated slice of Internet ‘real estate’: 1. Don’t try to be the next .com The biggest revenue-making opportunity under the new Top-Level Domain Program lies within the formation of generic word Top-Level Domains. Rather than trying to become the next .com, entrepreneurs should look to create boutique name spaces, turning over lower registration volumes, but at higher margins – the online equivalent of running an exclusive VIP country club. Take .music, which would be created as a targeted name space specifically for the music industry. Such a name space is probably never going be a competitor to .com, however it will hold significant value to the music industry given it will be directly tied to the subject matter and the global music community. Imagine if you could capture even 20 per cent of the roughly 8 million music artists around the world and charge them each $US5 to promote their music under an official .music name space. That’s $US8 million in annual revenue before you consider other potential revenue sources from targeting users with content businesses like concerts.music and reviews.music. So, rather than trying to be all things to all people, think very carefully about your audience before making the move. Because in this game an audience of “everyone” is a very risky move to make. 2. Offer more than just a domain name You are securing a domain name space. You can do so much more that just sell domains. We call it “left of the dot” thinking. What more can you offer that will build value to your namespace? How else can domain names be used? Should you retain premium names rather than sell them and look to monetise those sites by building out content? You are starting with a clean slate here. You set the rules. Be creative and create something that will bring value to your market and provide something different! 3. Commercialise your .brand TLD For brand holders, the benefits of securing a .brand Top-Level Domain are immediately obvious: Trust, leadership, customer engagement and improved message recall. Think creditcards.hsbc, cars.ebay or justdoit.nike and you’re well on the way to capturing the opportunity presented by this unique change. However, a .brand Top-Level Domain can deliver more than this. For instance, imagine eBay securing .eBay and selling a slice of that space to its audience of 94 million registered users at $US2 per vanity domain name fee. Also, with more than 600 million registered users, a username.facebook strategy of a similar nature should be an absolute no-brainer. From a customer engagement perspective, imagine if BMW were to provide all customers with a john.smith.bmw domain name with the purchase of a new vehicle to allow access to critical information such as service scheduling and technical information. Not only would it deliver value to the customer, it would also play a role in the introduction of the customer to the BMW brand experience and lifestyle (car clubs, forums, social networking etc). There will also be huge improvements in online security and trust. Take the bank Chase for example, it would bring clarity and security to customers with the simple message, ‘If it’s not .chase, it’s not us’. Not to mention making it easier for customers to find content online without using Google, because all they will need to remember is investments.chase, for instance. 4. Remove the language barrier For the first time in history, new Top-Level Domains are available in non-Latin scripts and with 60% of the world’s population residing in countries where the native language is based on a script other than Latin, you could be one of the first to capitalise on this latest shift in domain name technology. Imagine what a relevant Chinese script Top-Level Domain could be worth to the thriving Chinese community? 5. Act now The clock is ticking on this limited opportunity. The application window for new Top-Level Domains will open on 12 January 2012 and we’ll start to see new ‘.anything’ domains in operation from late 2012. If companies and entrepreneurs miss the application window (12 January 2012 to 12 April 2012), it may be a long time before they have the same opportunity again. Get moving now to make sure you don’t miss the boat. There is less than 155 days until the application window opens and you’ll need all of that time to make sure your approach is on the money. 6. Seek advice The new Top-Level Domain program is not for the novice – there are few people who can run a slice of the Internet alone – so start with the idea and seek advice from an industry expert such as AusRegistry International who understands the application process, policy and technological infrastructure required to make the most of the new Top-Level Domain opportunity. This is just the starting point. The six tips explained above are just a starting point for a much larger analysis of your idea and associated business case. At AusRegistry International ( www.ausregistry.com ), we are currently working with brands, entrepreneurs and governments across the world in a full service capacity that can cover your entire new Top-Level Domain project from strategy right through to technology and launch marketing services. For more information please visit www.ausregistry.com or find out more about the new Top-Level Domain program here: www.BeyondDotCom.info By Adrian Kinderis, Internet industry thought leader and CEO of AusRegistry International, one of the few companies in the world with the experience and technology to activate and implement new Top-Level Domains. This article by Adrian Kinderis was sourced with permission from the AusRegistry International blog and originally appeared at: www.ausregistry.com/blog/?p=838

The newly created country of South Sudan has been allocated the .SS country code by an International Telecommunications Union special council of Ministers resolution. South Sudan came into being as a nation on 9 July when it officially separated from the Republic of Sudan following a referendum of people in the former Sudan. The .SS country code will soon be issued Madut Biar Yel, Minister for Telecommunications and Postal Services, told BNO News. Biar said the ministry has applied for the ccTLD but did not have a date when it would be formalised. “A country code may seem like a small thing, but it is a real signifier of sovereignty and independence,” said Dr Hamadoun Touré, Secretary General, ITU, speaking of the allocation of the international dialling code 211. Much the same could be said, and in this day and age probably even more so, of the importance of the allocation of the .SS country code Top Level Domain as this is instantly recognisable. “We join with the international community in congratulating the government and people of South Sudan on achieving full nationhood. As a young developing country there will be challenges, but the power of modern connectivity will bring a tremendous boost in areas such as commerce, health and education. ITU is here to help with advice on the necessary steps towards improved connectivity.”

With competition hotting up between new generic Top Level Domain applicants, and a three month application period to open on 12 January 2012 following ICANN’s approval of their Applicant Guidebook in Singapore last week, it is likely there will be a number of competing applications for the same gTLD. Likely gTLDs to receive more than one application include .AFRICA, .GAY and now .SCOT. For .GAY, Domain Name Wire reports a “Washington man has filed an intent-to-use trademark application for ‘.gay’ with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.” .AFRICA has seen competing applications from two groups, with the African Union Commission has stated categorically it is not supporting any application for the generic Top Level Domain .AFRICA despite claims from a potential applicant it has their support.” And now a gTLD for Scotland with .SCOT and .SCO being proposed by competing groups. The .SCO proposal website has not been updated since February 2009, but it appears there are also two .SCOT proposals. In an article in The Scotsman today, Joan McAlpine, an SNP MSP for the south of Scotland, writes “it is important that everyone in Scotland gets behind this officially approved bid which can be found at www.dotscot.net. This is the group that has government and cross-party backing, because it is run as a not for profit organisation.” A for profit body is behind a second .SCOT proposal. The organisation is called Scotnom. However writes McAlpine a “.SCOT TLD should be a community-based public resource rather than a private asset.” “It is important that there is no confusion of the two organisations – remember dotscot.net and dotscot.org is the place to sign up if you want the bid to benefit the wider community.” To read the article by Joan McAlpine in The Scotsman in full, see: news.scotsman.com/politics/Joan-McAlpine-Dotting-the-i39s.6792156.jp

by Adrian Kinderis, CEO of AusRegistry International , explains why choosing a registry services partner is the most important decision applicants will make. The ICANN Singapore meeting last week was all about certainty. The official approval of the new Top-Level Domain program and the delivery of an application timeline by the ICANN Board has provided the certainty we have all been eagerly waiting for. What I can also be certain about is that potential applicants are now desperately trying to finalise their new Top-Level Domain strategies. To those applicants, I have one very important message: Choosing a domain name registry services partner for your new Top-Level Domain is the most important decision you will make from here on in. As such, I think it is also important for potential applicants to understand that not all registry services providers are created equal. There are several key criteria for differentiation that can help potential applicants decipher all the spin and make an informed decision. Below is my summary of the criteria I believe are critical for your choice in registry services partner. 1) Experience – Your chosen partner must have long-term experience in developing, growing and operating a current, high volume namespace. In this game, experience counts for everything. 2) Financial Security – Financial security ensures long term viability of your provider. This means that your registry services partner will be around for as long as your TLD needs them to be. 3) Flexibility – Your solution must be built for the specific requirements of your new TLD. Flexibility from your registry services partner will ensure you aren’t restricted by technical capability. 4) Focus – Are new TLDs a primary focus of the business? They should be… 5) Diverse Expertise – Navigating the TLD minefield is no easy task. To ensure success, you’ll need a combination of dedicated industry consultants, knowledgeable technical resources and sales & marketing experts to meet ICANN’s stringent requirements. Great registry services require an equal balance of brain power and technology. 6) Commitment – Ask prospective partners how much of their own time has been invested understanding the intricate details of the Applicant Guidebook and ICANN’s processes. Have they been an advocate and influencer of the program since its inception? Are they committed to the success of this revolutionary program? 7) Price – Extremely low per domain pricing structures may seem like a good idea in theory, however  you must question the ability for that entity to manage a registry well and, importantly, support your ongoing business long-term. If your partner is hamstrung because they have over committed on pricing, you may experience some challenges long-term. What you are looking for is a service provider that can positively cover off all these points at a consistently high level. What you want to avoid is a provider that may excel at one point to the detriment of another. There is only six months until the 12 January 2012 application window opens and the time to act is now. I’ve provided you with all the information you need to make the right decisions about your new Top-Level Domain. There is just one more piece of information I forgot to include: info@ausregistry.com . Drop my team a line one day to see how we stack up. This article was sourced from the AusRegistry blog at: www.ausregistry.com/blog/?p=803

The bid to apply and then operate the .VEGAS Top Level Domain has pitted Clark County against the city of Las Vegas. “Clark County commissioners agreed Tuesday to endorse Vegas.com’s bid” for the .VEGAS TLD reports the Las Vegas Review-Journal, which now sees the bidders pitted against Las Vegas, whose city council “voted to endorse rival bidder Dot Vegas Inc.” According to the report “Commissioner Steve Sisolak led the push to support Vegas.com. He argued that the county has a right to profit from the Vegas name because it has the world-famous Strip, where most of the region’s gaming revenue is generated.” “Vegas.com has offered to pay the county $1.50 for every address registered under .vegas or 10 percent of the yearly gross revenue.

The IANA added the .XXX Top Level Domain to the root nameservers yesterday , meaning that when ICM Registry, and its registry operator Afilias, are ready they can begin registrations of .XXX domain names. Domain Incite reports that “sex.xxx and porn.xxx are now also resolving to placeholder sites.” IANA have published their report on the “Delegation of the .XXX top-level domain” at www.iana.org/reports/2011/xxx-report-20110407.pdf . The report gives a detailed background into the application process