The .ie registry is celebrating 20 years in business with a rebrand and a €20,000 giveaway to registrants.
The €20,000 fund, divided into individual prizes (2 x €5,000, 1 X €10,000) will be awarded to three .ie registrants who enter their competition through their new website, weare.ie, on or before 6 November 2020.
Spun out of University College Dublin to form IE Domain Registry CLG in 2000, .ie has seen several milestones passed including 100,000 registrations in 2008, liberalising of eligibility rules in 2018 and a rebranding to simply .IE in October 2020.
“20 years is a significant milestone for any company – but in internet years, it is particularly significant,” said .IE CEO David Curtin.
“In that time, we have witnessed major developments in the global internet landscape such as the proliferation of e-commerce, the birth of social media and the internet of things, to name but a few. Informed by those changes, we have worked closely with SMEs, industry partners, community groups and citizens to develop an Irish internet ecosystem that is accessible and provides opportunity for all.
“We have witnessed the particular impact that the internet has had this year in keeping family and friends in touch, virtual offices open and traditionally bricks and mortar SMEs trading during Covid-19. We anticipate that as we enter into six weeks of Level Five restrictions, the internet will play an even more important role for all, and we have witnessed many SMEs pivot online in recent weeks and months, adjusting their model and embracing the opportunity that e-commerce presents at this critical time. As people rush to buy online in the coming weeks and in the run up to Christmas, I would ask people to think Irish and where possible look to buy from .ie websites so we can all support local Irish businesses in these difficult times.
“As we move into our next chapter as a business, it only seemed right to mark the occasion with a change to our name, one that aligns with our purpose and ambition to empower people, communities and businesses across Ireland to thrive online.
“We are excited to share the celebration of our 20th anniversary with the .ie community and mark this new phase of our journey as .IE moves forward with confidence into 2021.”