Executive Blog

For brand owners, the time to act on new gTLDs is now
Roland LaPlante's Blog
Sep 15, 2011

The second .nxt conference on new generic top-level domains recently concluded, and there was one thing that participants in the three days of passionate and informative discussions agreed on: time is running out for applicants.

Brands should not ignore the security benefits of new gTLD
Roland LaPlante's Blog
Sep 12, 2011

If one thing has become clear from recent commentary on ICANN’s new top-level domain program, it's that there's a dramatic lack of understanding about some of the benefits of owning your own TLD -- especially as it relates to security.

Many brand owners -- especially those with luxury brands -- could realize immediate benefits from reduced counterfeiting and greater brand trust with a “dot Brand.”

Top 10 reasons NOT to apply for a New TLD
Roland LaPlante's Blog
Sep 8, 2011

These days, with the deadline to apply for a dot Brand, dot Niche or dot City TLD from ICANN coming fast, everyone is saying why you should apply for one (or more.) Well, we've found a few reasons why you might not apply for your dot Anything.

10. The 28.8 kbps modem in our office can't download all 352 pages of the ICANN Applicant Guidebook.

9. I might have to hire more people to handle...

The new top-level domains clock is ticking ...
Roland LaPlante's Blog
Sep 2, 2011

January 12, 2012. That’s the day ICANN will begin accepting applications in its new generic top-level domains program. And that day is just a few months from now -- not a long time, particularly when you consider the need to build an internal team to champion the project, develop a business plan as well as registration policies, and secure funding for the project. You will also need to assemble an external team, likely in the form of a registry services provider partner, like Afilias. Given...

DNSSEC Baby Steps Reported at ICANN 41
Ram Mohan's Blog
Jul 29, 2011
The Internet is slowly beginning to adopt the new DNSSEC domain names standard, but significant challenges remain. That was the main takeaway from a four-hour workshop on the technology held during the recent ICANN 41 public meeting in Singapore, which heard from many domain registries, registrars and other infrastructure providers.

Beyond the Top Level: DNSSEC Deployment at ICANN 40
Ram Mohan's Blog
Apr 12, 2011
I recently wrote about the encouraging level of DNSSEC adoption among top-level domain name registries, and noted that adoption at the second level and in applications is an important next step for adding more security to the DNS. The root and approximately 20 percent of the top level domains are now signed; it is time for registrars and recursive DNS servers operated by the ISPs to occupy center stage.
ICANN Sets June Target for New gTLD Program Launch
Roland LaPlante's Blog
Mar 31, 2011
At its recent meeting in San Francisco, ICANN approved a new draft timeline for the launch of its new generic top-level domains (gTLDs) program that will let its Board of Directors approve the final Applicant Guidebook in June 2011, enabling companies to apply for gTLDs before the end of the year.

DNSSEC Deployment Reaching Critical Mass
Ram Mohan's Blog
Mar 21, 2011
Less than nine months after the DNS root was signed, the rollout of DNSSEC across the Internet's top-level domains is approaching the tipping point.
.nxt Conference Inspires and Informs New gTLD Debate
Roland LaPlante's Blog
Feb 21, 2011

The first-ever .nxt conference recently concluded in San Francisco. The conference featured two days of productive, educational, and passionate discussion about the business of new generic top-level domains (gTLDs).

IDN Evolution Discussed at ICANN Cartagena
John Kane's Blog
Dec 20, 2010

Internationalized domain names (IDNs) have been available to Internet users for many years, but this year the first fully non-Latin IDN domains have become enabled by ICANN and country-code top-level domain registries. The recent success of the launch of Russia's .рф (.rf) ccTLD shows that there is an enormous demand for domain names in Internet users' native languages.