Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) enable users to enter the URL of the website in a browser in his native language. Earlier this was limited only to Latin characters; however, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) now permits Internationalized Domain Names.

ICANN has also opened its policy to permit new generic Top Level Domain Names (gTLDs), which were earlier limited to .INFO, .MOBI, etc. Soon one can apply for the name of one’s company or a city such as .kolkata or .delhi or .mumbai.

With this in mind, the Department of Information Technology (DIT), Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI), Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) and Afilias have organized a one-day conference in Hyderabad to explain to the relevant stake holders the concept of the new gTLDs, the application process, the timelines and financial implications of the same.

The conference will also cover iinitiatives undertaken by DIT to ensure that Indian languages find their rightful place in Internationalized Domain Names.

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Anyone will soon be able to apply for a new Internet extension. But the process is neither simple nor cheap. .Nxt is the only conference that will tell you how to make the most of this extraordinary opportunity. Questions that will be answered include: What do I need to know about new Internet extensions? What is the application process? What are the pitfalls? How do you run a registry? What are the long-term costs? Who do I need to know to succeed in this space?

With more than 100 new TLD applications submitted to ICANN, the next Internet revolution is about to begin. Register now to attend Europe's largest forum to discuss and learn about new domain extensions. Meet new top-level domain applicants and make use of excellent networking opportunities, discover more about the application process and network with domain professionals, registrars, legal resources, marketers, and more.

ICANN's new TLDs for Brands
Your brand, your idea or even your category can be your domain.

ICANN's ruling on the domain registries forever altered the way brands, associations, and other entities are represented online. The "dot com" era will soon be replaced with a myriad of possibilities involving "dot brand" and "dot generic" - essentially "dot anything." The implications for SEO and trademark protection are critical, and the opportunities presented to brands, industry associations - even investors - is exploding.

Is this the new lakefront property bonanza of the Internet? This iBreakfast Conference will sort through the opportunities and surrounding issues.

ICANN SINGAPORE– June 21, 2011 – Afilias Limited, a leading provider of Internet domain name registry and Domain Name System (DNS) services, and RIGHT OF THE DOT LLC, a consulting firm with expertise in domain name valuation, today announced that they have entered into an agreement to assist applicants in ICANN’s forthcoming program for new Top Level Domains (TLDs). Under the agreement, Afilias and RIGHT OF THE DOT will collaborate to help applicants with a wide variety of services needed to successfully apply for and launch a new TLD.

“Afilias has helped launch more new TLDs than any other provider, and has long been recognized as a leading provider of the critical registry services required by ICANN for new TLDs,” said Roland LaPlante, Senior Vice President of Afilias. “Many applicants are now developing their business plans and have found the need for additional expertise in areas such as premium name valuation. Monte Cahn and Michael Berkens of RIGHT OF THE DOT are well known valuation experts, and we are pleased to make these expanded resources available to applicants.”

“We have worked with Afilias for years and are glad to form this alliance,” said Monte Cahn, Co-Founder and President of RIGHT OF THE DOT. “Proper valuation is a critical element in the success of a new TLD, as it helps put the TLD on sound financial footing. With decades of experience in the domain name secondary market, Michael and I can provide fact-based advice on what names might be valuable and how much they may bring. Each TLD will only launch once, and getting this part of the launch right can make the difference between financial success and failure.”

Cahn and Berkens are widely recognized as two of the domain industry’s most respected valuation and sales experts, and have assisted in the strategy for several previous domain launches and re-launches. They have helped build some of the most successful appraisal algorithms and auction valuation models used in the domain business. Also, they have been central to more than $300 million in domain sales, including some of the highest profile domain sales in history, such as Slots.com, CreditCheck.com, Poker.ca, University.org and Dating.com.

ICANN approved the new TLD program at its current meeting in Singapore and set January 12, 2012, as the date it will begin accepting applications.

Afilias’ Global Registry and DNS services power 20 million registrations across 15 TLDs, including five TLDs operating under ICANN contracts. Afilias’ new TLD services include a state-of-the-art EPP registry, a globally diverse and redundant Anycast DNS network, 24x7 call-center and technical support, and links to the global distribution channel.

In addition, Afilias provides other premium solutions to augment its registry offerings, including technology to enable mobile phone compatibility for websites and a unique IDN-capable email solution. All Afilias services are DNSSEC and IPv6 ready, and reflect more than 10 years of experience in supporting gTLDs operating under ICANN contracts.

About Afilias
Afilias is a global provider of Internet infrastructure services that connect people to their data. Afilias’ reliable, secure, scalable, and globally available technology supports a wide range of applications including Internet domain registry services and Managed DNS. For more information on Afilias, visit www.afilias.info.

About RIGHT OF THE DOT LLC
RIGHT OF THE DOT is an Internet consulting and advisement firm specializing in new and existing TLD strategy, board advisement, premium domain and market positioning, sales and services. The venture is the brainchild of two successful domain and Internet industry veterans, Monte Cahn and Michael H. Berkens, Esq., who posses a unique combination of vision, leadership and domain expertise. Cahn was the original founder of Moniker.com, a top seven ICANN Accredited Registrar, who went on to head the Aftermarket and Sales Division of Oversee.net. Among other pioneering services, Cahn introduced the concept of Live Domain Auctions to the industry. Berkens, a domain investor with more than 75,000 domains, owns WorldwideMedia Inc., including the retail site MostWantedDomains.com. He founded and contributes to the widely read blog, TheDomains.com. Both principals of RIGHT OF THE DOT are members of the prestigious Domain Hall Of Fame, and are two of only 10 members. This highly qualified consulting group gives you access to the most experienced domain sales and marketing strategists in the industry. They are the only domain industry firm specializing in the many of the critical service offerings required to be successful in the ever-expanding domain industry. See www.rightofthedot.com for more information.

Free online resources outline opportunities for dot.BRAND TLDs in today’s new Internet environment

ICANN SINGAPORE — June 20, 2011 — In a historic move, today the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) approved its long-discussed New gTLD Program. This program allows any brand or community of interest to apply for a unique “right of the dot” top-level domain. For example, instead of “.com,” a brand like Nike could apply for “.nike” to reinforce its brand on the Web.

“The ICANN program creates opportunities for brand builders to re-invent how customers experience brands on the Internet,” said Roland LaPlante, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Afilias. “However, there are a variety of challenges in applying for, winning and running a dot.BRAND Web space. One significant issue is time. The program application period starts on January 12, 2012, and will end on April 12, 2012. Once the application window is closed, the opportunity to apply for a dot.BRAND TLD is gone. There are no firm plans to accept new applications after this round of submissions closes.”

To help global brand builders understand the complex ICANN application process — as well as the many benefits of owning and operating a unique dot.BRAND TLD — Afilias has created an easy-to-digest video and e-book to explain the program.

“Afilias is ideally positioned to offer this information,” LaPlante said. “Afilias is among the world’s largest providers of diverse domain registry services, and has supported the applications for and launches of numerous new TLDs under ICANN processes — including the highly successful .INFO, .MOBI and .ASIA domains. This also means we are uniquely qualified to help organizations apply for new dot.BRAND TLDs as well as launch and manage new dot.BRAND Internet spaces.”

Organizations interested in pursuing a dot.BRAND investment will need to act quickly to assemble a team of experts, which will likely include the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), a brand advisor, the ad agency, a trademark lawyer and a domain registry technology partner. Properly assembled, this team will be able to prepare and submit an application that will meet ICANN’s stringent requirements and be awarded their own dot.BRAND.

To access the free Afilias e-book, Envisioning Your .BRAND New World: A Field Guide for Brand Builders, as well as the educational video, Welcome to Your .Brand New World, visit www.afilias.info/dotbrand.

About Afilias
Afilias is a global provider of Internet infrastructure services that connect people to their data. Afilias’ reliable, secure, scalable, and globally available technology supports a wide range of applications, including Internet domain registry services and Managed DNS. For more information on Afilias, visit www.afilias.info.

Alliance designed to help Chinese companies apply for “dot.BRAND” top-level domains

ICANN SINGAPORE – June 20, 2011 – Afilias Limited, a global provider of Internet domain name registry and Managed DNS services, today announced that it has entered into a formal agreement with Chinese Internet services leader HiChina, a subsidiary of Alibaba.com, to help Chinese brands take advantage of ICANN’s New TLD Program.

The agreement recognizes HiChina’s leadership and customer service excellence, and names HiChina as Afilias’ preferred new TLD partner in China. Chinese brands who intend to establish a dot.BRAND presence online will benefit from the combined resources of Afilias, a global leader in new TLD registry services, and HiChina, a trusted Chinese market Internet expert.

“With the world’s largest Internet population, China also represents one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Brands based in China need unique marketing approaches to reach this large, diverse pool of consumers. One approach is a ‘dot.BRAND’ name, meaning the use of a brand name instead of a .com or .net,” said Roland LaPlante, Senior Vice President of Afilias. “A dot.BRAND TLD lets major companies control how customers experience their brand online and helps break through the noise and clutter online.”

LaPlante added, “With the tremendous rise of Chinese language on the Internet, our partnership will enable Chinese brands to present their domains in Chinese script rather than in English alone.”

“Chinese consumers want domain names and websites in their own language. The combined experience of Afilias and HiChina will provide a great user experience for the Chinese market,” said Bridge Song, Vice President of HiChina.

HiChina is the leading Internet services provider in China, and provides comprehensive Web services to Chinese enterprises, including domain registration, hosting, email systems and website creation & management.

“With HiChina’s reach and influence in the Chinese enterprise market, and Afilias’ successful history of supporting more TLDs than any other company, this partnership helps ensure that Chinese brands are on equal footing with Western brands applying for dot.BRAND TLDs,” added Bridge Song.

ICANN approved the new TLD program on June 20, 2011, at the current ICANN global meeting in Singapore.

Brands interested in pursuing a dot.BRAND approach will need to act quickly to develop strong, compelling proposals to ICANN for their desired new TLD string, one of many areas where Afilias is able to assist TLD applicants. Other Afilias TLD registry services include a ”thick” EPP registry, a globally diverse and redundant Anycast DNS network, and 24x7 call-center and technical support.

In addition, Afilias offers other premium solutions to augment its registry offering, including technology to enable mobile phone compatibility for websites and a unique IDN-capable email solution. All Afilias services are DNSSEC and IPv6 ready, and reflect 10 years of experience in supporting gTLDs operating under ICANN contracts.

About Afilias
Afilias is a global provider of Internet infrastructure services that connect people to their data. Afilias’ reliable, secure, scalable, and globally available technology supports a wide range of applications including Internet domain registry services and Managed DNS. For more information on Afilias, visit www.afilias.info.

About HiChina
HiChina, a subsidiary of Alibaba.com, is the leading Internet services provider in China. HiChina provides comprehensive Web services to enterprises, including domain registration, hosting, enterprise email systems, enterprise website creation & management, and e-commerce applications consultation. HiChina is an accredited domain registrar by both ICANN and CNNIC (China Internet Network Information Center). Currently, HiChina manages and hosts more than three million English and Chinese domains, and also serves more than 500,000 enterprise users with fast, stable and secure websites and email hosting services. Headquartered in Beijing, HiChina currently has 16 branches and more than 10,000 agents in 31 provinces and cities across China. Visit http://en.hichina.com to learn more.

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.

According to the resolution passed by the Board, ICANN's directors will hold a special meeting on June 20 -- the first day of its Singapore conference -- to consider approval of the Guidebook. Chairman Peter Dengate Thrush said that a guidebook approval at the start of the week gives the community an excuse for a big celebration during the Singapore meeting.

The decision to approve a new timetable came at the end of ICANN's 40th public meeting, which was its largest to date with more than 1,700 registered delegates. For the Board, the meeting week was occupied by intensive consultations with the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) and, in parallel, with the community at large. The GAC had raised 80 issues where it was still concerned with the contents of the Guidebook, and the Board sought an equitable compromise that considered both the views of governments and the community's established consensus positions.

Unfortunately, the time allocated to these discussions in San Francisco was not sufficient to allow the Board and GAC to reach a definitive final position. The newly approved timeline, however, calls for the consultation, with an additional round of public comment, to conclude by May 30. ICANN directors described the timetable as both realistic and responsible, and several members of the Board expressed their resolve to finalize the Guidebook in Singapore.

After so many delays and abandoned roadmaps over the last few years, as the rules for applying for gTLDs underwent multiple loops of revision and public comment, the program may now be finally in the home stretch -- ready to make the transition from policy development to implementation. This means, of course, that it is now more important than ever for Internet-using enterprises to consider their gTLD strategies, even if they do not plan to apply.

Following the approval of the Guidebook, ICANN plans to launch a four-month outreach program designed to expand awareness of the new gTLD process to a wider audience.

If you're reading these words before that process begins, you're ahead of the curve. You should use that time advantage to both develop your gTLD strategy and find the expert partners you’ll need to make it successful. The application window is expected to be short -- just two or three months -- and is likely to open before the end of 2011. There have been many delays, but wise applicants will begin their preparations in earnest ASAP.

Afilias' Greg Aaron will be presenting the latest findings highlighted in the APWG Global Phishing Report on Abuse of TLDs at this year's Counter-eCrime Operations Summit on Wednesday April 27th, 2011.

The new .bayern TLD will reinforce the unique geographic identity of the businesses and inhabitants of Bavaria, Germany’s second-most populous state.

Munich, March 17, 2011 — PunktBayern, the company behind the upcoming new top level geographic domain .bayern, today announced that it has chosen Afilias as its partner for registry and DNS services.

Afilias, a leading global provider of Internet infrastructure services, will also work closely with PunktBayern on its upcoming top level domain (TLD) application to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). This initiative will be part of ICANN’s planned TLD expansion program, anticipated to start in the latter half of 2011.

PunktBayern — German for “dotBavaria” — was founded in 2006 specifically to bring the .bayern TLD to market. The TLD is designed to reinforce the unique geographic identity of the businesses and inhabitants of Bavaria, the second-most populous state in Germany with 2.5 million residents.

“PunktBayern wanted to work with a company who could provide a reliable registry infrastructure for the launch and growth of the .bayern TLD. We selected Afilias based on its outstanding support for a diverse range of TLDs since 2001 with the launch of .INFO,” said Lothar Kunz, managing director of PunktBayern GmbH & Co. KG. “Thanks to Afilias, PunktBayern will be able to focus on growing the recognition of .bayern in the marketplace since we know that Afilias will be able to successfully handle all the ‘back-end’ services for us.”

Kunz added, “PunktBayern plans to establish the .bayern domain by focusing on websites that will make Bavarian products and services easily available around the world. Down the road, .bayern will also play an important role as a virtual gate to Bavaria, where citizens will intuitively find e-government services.”

Roland LaPlante, Senior Vice President of Afilias, said, “Afilias is proud to have been selected to help bring .bayern to market. Given the unique nature of the Bavarian region, PunktBayern has strong potential to extend this identity on the Internet and provide a superior TLD choice compared to generic TLDs.”

About PunktBayern®
PunktBayern is the company behind the .bayern top level domain for Bavaria, designed to give Bavarians a unique Internet identity. Any Bavarian-based person, company or organization can register .bayern domains once they are commercially available. PunktBayern will also work closely with the government of the State of Bavaria to ensure that .bayern supports the needs of all Bavarians. More information about PunktBayern is available at www.punktbayern.de.

About Afilias
Afilias is a global provider of Internet infrastructure services that connect people to their data. Afilias’ reliable, secure, scalable, and globally available technology supports a wide range of applications including Internet domain registry services, Managed DNS, and services in the RFID and supply chain market with its Afilias Discovery Services. For more information on Afilias, visit www.afilias.info.