[news release] General Manager of EURid, the .eu top-level domain (TLD) registry, Marc Van Wesemael expresses candid opinions on Internet security, IPv6 and the upcoming TLD market liberalisation, ahead of .euâs fifth birthday on 7 April 2011.âInternet security still needs to improve,â Mr Van Wesemael notes. âEURid has always been active in this area and it is the responsibility of TLD registries, such as ourselves, to strive to make the Internet safer for everyone.â
As one of the first registries to fully implement Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) for a TLD, .eu, EURid continues to champion online security. New services and education programs in 2011 will simplify using DNSSEC, which is seen by many as unduly complex:
- Streamlining deployment: An innovative, all-in-one DNSSEC signing and implementation service for the .eu accredited registrar community aims to encourage the adoption of the protocol. Currently in test phase, rollout is expected in Q3.
- Improving knowledge: A complementary series of training seminars across Europe will boost registrarsâ confidence when working with the DNSSEC protocol and their portfolio of signed .eu domain names.
More initiatives to make the Internet a safer place include EURidâs behind-the-scenes actions to deter phishing. âWe are the custodian of .eu and therefore have effective procedures in place to combat suspicious domain name registrations,â says Marc Van Wesemael.
The switch to IPv6
As World IPv6 Day on 8 June 2011 approaches, Mr Van Wesemael predicts that IPv6 momentum will gather pace.
.eu domain name holders have always been able to use IPv6 addresses for their dedicated name servers, as .eu registration systems have been IPv6-capable since the TLDâs launch in 2006. More recently, the .eu registry has begun preparations to add IPv6 connectivity to its registration services. Mr Van Wesemael however notes that not all service providers have full IPv6 solutions commercially available. Offering IPv6 remains an important focus for EURid.
New TLD market entrants
The upcoming introduction of a potentially unlimited number of new extensions will change domain name market dynamics. For example, Mr Van Wesemael foresees a shift in power from registries to registrars and a decline in defensive registrations which may even lead to reduced growth for the TLD market as a whole.
âTrademark owners are likely to focus their marketing time and money on five to ten core domain names, which could mean less popular domains miss out. As .eu is one of the ten largest domains in the world, I am confident that the market opening up will not affect us.â
On the other hand, he considers the publicity surrounding new entrants will draw positive attention to the existing, more established extensions, such as .eu.
He observes, âWe certainly have challenging times ahead, but the .eu team is looking forward to the future. We have every reason to believe that the next five years will be as fulfilling as the last fiveâ.
This EURid news release was sourced from:
www.eurid.eu/en/content/eu-general-manager-changing-tld-landscape
To register your .EU domain name, check out Europe Registry here.