After more than six years of consultation and negotiation regarding the New Top-Level Domain Program, the ICANN Board this week approved the program to the pleasure of many within the Internet community.For this, we say thank you to ICANN on a job well done!The New Top-Level Domain (TLD) Program has been controversial at times and has fuelled many passionate debates within the Internet community. However, it is important to remember that the implementation of new TLDs is written into ICANN’s founding mandate. It is also important to appreciate the level of research, planning, consultation, discussion and compromise that has gone into getting to this point.The ICANN community needs to understand that a change as big as new TLDs requires some degree of ‘a leap of faith’. Nothing can ever be 100 per cent guaranteed and I can’t promise you that the new Top-Level Domain program is perfect. But what we can be comforted by is the fact that the years of consultation, discussion and compromise that has gone into this process means the leap is more a small step – a carefully calculated step.What I can guarantee is that ICANN will continue to work extremely hard to listen to any concerns and take all appropriate feedback from now until the launch of the program, and after. This is based on the phenomenal amount of work ICANN has put into getting to this point.A learning of this entire process has been the fundamental necessity of ‘not pleasing all of the people, all of the time’. The multi-stakeholder model, by definition, is just that. The only possible result with multiple stakeholders, who have a multitude of viewpoints and concerns, is ‘not pleasing all of the people, all of the time’. The focus must be on achieving a quality result with the understanding that you can never make everyone happy.What cannot be denied is the extraordinary level of work the ICANN Community, Board, staff and the GAC has put into trying to achieve the best possible outcome. All these stakeholders have done a tremendous job and deserve due recognition.Thank you ICANNThis article by Krista Papac, Chief Strategy Officer with AusRegistry International, was sourced from:
http://www.ausregistry.com/blog/?p=798
Tag Archives: AusRegistry
AusRegistry International appoints former ICANN manager Donna Austin
AusRegistry International announced today it has appointed Donna Austin to the role of Senior Domain Name Industry Consultant, in a move that AusRegistry believes will reinforce their mission to establish an industry-leading position as a provider of Domain Name Registry Services.
Austin has worked for in the internet and domain name industries for some years, including more than six in senior positions with ICANN. During her time at ICANN, Austin was appointed to roles of Chief of Staff to the CEO, Manager of Governmental Relations and Manager of Country Name Policy Support. Her achievements at ICANN include being involved in the policy development which supported the implementation of Internationalised Domain Names (IDNs) and new Top-Level Domains (TLDs). Austin was also pivotal in the development of successful policy and programs related to ICANNâs Country Code Name Supporting Organisation (ccNSO).
“We are excited to have Donna join the team at AusRegistry International. Donna brings considerable experience with her knowledge and intimate understanding of the inner circles at ICANN,â said AusRegistry International’s CEO Adrian Kinderis.
âHer involvement in the development of the policy related to new Top-Level Domains will add significant value to our clients as we help them prepare their new TLD applications. Donna will also play an important role in the development of our Internationalised Domain Name program, which currently includes the .emarat (ا٠ارات.), .qatar (Ùطر.) and .oman (ع٠اÙ.) country codes,” Mr Kinderis said.â
Away from ICANN, Austin has accumulated more than fifteen years experience working in government and global multi-stakeholder environments, enabling the development of complex policy and knowledge transfer in the areas of Internet governance, telecommunications, broadcasting and law enforcement.
Mr Kinderis said AusRegistry International will benefit significantly from Austinâs experience during this exciting period of strong growth for the company.
Who is wagging who? Same dog, new tale by Adrian Kinderis
Today, my company AusRegistry International signed an open letter to the United States House Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition, and the Internet as a show of support for ICANN and its new Top-Level Domain program. I’m disappointed by the nature of the oversight hearing the Subcommittee has called and I believe it will only be a distraction.Let’s not kid ourselves; the reason for this hearing is to beat up ICANN over the new TLD program. I think this is unfair and unjustified.ICANN’s new TLD program has undergone extraordinarily thorough and inclusive discussions going back to ICANN’s incarnation in 1998, and in earnest since 2005. It is without question that rights holders be afforded reasonable protections. However, it must be fairly pointed out that since initiation of this discussion nearly six years ago, ICANN staff and participants (including rights holders, trademark representatives, and delegates of the US government), at significant expense, have accommodated the needs and demands of the IP community to prevent intellectual property theft or needless cost to IP owners.This is why I’m at a loss for why this hearing has been called at such a late stage in the process, when we are so close to approving the program.It frightens me that ICANN must jump when the US government calls a hearing on new TLDs. There is something fundamentally wrong with this situation; the global organisation dedicated to keeping the Internet secure, stable and interoperable should not feel such an imbalanced sense of accountability to one government – the US government.ICANN’s acclaimed multi-stakeholder model means it’s accountable to numerous stakeholders, which include Internet users, Regional Internet Registries, Country Code Registries, several committees and councils, and the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) to name a few. It’s important to remember that the US government forms just one part of the GAC, which is one stakeholder in the vast ecosystem that comprises ICANN.It makes me think, if any other Government was to call a meeting would the ICANN Community feel as intimidated to participate. What gives them such sway and power and how does the rest of the GAC membership feel about this?Furthermore, in the Affirmation of Commitments (AoC), ICANN committed to maintain and improve robust mechanisms for public input, accountability and transparency so as to ensure that the outcomes of its decision-making reflect the public interest and are accountable to all stakeholders. The AOC and the completion of the original agreement signalled a globalisation of the Internet and its governance. Yet, we still find ourselves at the mercy of the US government as demonstrated by this House Subcommittee oversight hearing.What is more intriguing is why the US Government is seemingly opposed to the implementation of the new TLD program and its associated benefits. It’s contradictory for the US Government to be speaking about the importance of stimulating the economy and job creation on one hand, and then to be also involved in stifling the new TLD program, which has the potential to drive innovation, create jobs, and boost the digital economy.At ICANN’s recent meeting in San Francisco, former US President Bill Clinton said the technology sector should play a pivotal role in driving economic recovery. He recognised the importance of online innovation for a strong and sustainable economic climate and said information technology was a key driver of the American economy during his eight years in office. He said IT jobs represented 30 percent of the United States’ job growth and 35 percent of its income growth. It is my belief that new Top-Level Domain names are the most compelling opportunity for innovation the Internet has seen since its creation.ICANN is in the final stages of executing a well developed plan that will see new TLDs and all the benefits associated with them approved later this year. To ICANN’s credit, they have worn the body blows from various sectors of the Community throughout this long, careful and calculated process. They have battled on working towards a solution that provides for the benefit of ALL stakeholders – an incredibly hard task. I understand that the US Government may have questions – however, ultimately they are one voice and not the only voice providing input into the process. The ICANN Community, including the GAC need to remember that.Adrian Kinderis is the CEO of AusRegistry International.This article was sourced with permission from the AusRegistry International site. The original appears at www.ausregistry.com/blog/?p=752.
AusRegistry International Wins Another Middle East Internet Contract
AusRegistry International announced this month it has won a lucrative contract with the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of the Sultanate of Oman to operate software services for the .OM Omani country code Top Level Domain.
AusRegistry International is particularly pleased with the new Oman contract as it puts them in the position as a market leader in the region and complements similar projects currently underway in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. This is in addition to its consulting work for South Africa’s .ZA ccTLD, the largest in Africa. AusRegistry is also the appointed operator of the .AU domain in Australia.
The Oman contract will encompass both the existing .om domain and the planned .ع٠ا٠(.OMAN) Arabic script domain. This will be the first time Omanis will be able to access the Internet using their native language.
For more information, see the AusRegistry International news release below:
AusRegistry International wins lucrative Middle East Internet contracts [news release]
Navigating the Internet for people from non-English speaking backgrounds has just become a lot easier thanks to the ingenuity and expertise of Melbourne based domain name registry services provider AusRegistry International, who has just signed its third Middle Eastern contract to provide software to drive critical Internet infrastructure in the region.
AusRegistry International announced this month it has won a lucrative contract with the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of the Sultanate of Oman to operate software services for the .om Omani country code domain.
The new Oman contract cements AusRegistry International’s position as a market leader in the region and complements similar projects currently underway in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. This is in addition to its consulting work for South Africa’s .za country-code domain, the largest in Africa. AusRegistry is also the appointed operator of the .au domain in Australia.
The Oman contract will encompass both the existing .om domain and the planned ع٠اÙ. (.oman) Arabic script domain. This will be the first time Omanis will be able to access the Internet using their native language.
The introduction of non-Latin scripts for the Domain Name System is one of the most significant advancements in the history of the Internet because it allows people from non-Latin based languages to navigate using website addresses in their own language. For instance, without scripts, an Arabic language website would require an English website address. In this scenario it’s almost impossible to navigate to the website without an understanding of the English language.
“We were the first company in the world to provide the technology that enables Arabic script domain names and now we are at the absolute forefront of an Internet revolution that will ensure the continued improvement of Internet accessibility across all language groups. I am extremely proud to say that our Australian made technology will now be supporting three Arabic script domains, in addition to five traditional country domains from around the world,” AusRegistry International’s CEO Adrian Kinderis said.
“Approximately 60 percent of the world’s population are from regions where the Latin alphabet is not part of their native language, so you can see why domains with non-Latin scripts are an extremely important part of the Internet’s future.” Mr Kinderis said it’s an exciting time for AusRegistry International because the company is going through a massive growth period.
“In the last year we doubled our workforce to handle the influx of new business opportunities. We’ve also expanded our operations by opening a new office in the United States and we are looking to open a new office in the Middle East.”
Mr Kinderis said AusRegistry International is now well positioned to take advantage of the revolutionary changes set to take place across the Internet later this year, with the introduction of the new top level domain program. Likely to commence in mid 2011, the program will allow for companies, entrepreneurs and governments to own and operate a slice of Internet real estate, just like .com.
“So far, interest has been shown by major brands like Canon (.canon), for geographic locations like .sydney or .paris, and generic words like .web or .shop. Although new top level domains will likely cost more than $500,000 in application fees and operating costs, this unique prospect to secure a piece of Internet real estate is the most compelling opportunity for innovation the Internet has seen since its creation,” Mr Kinderis said.
The opportunity presented by the new top level domain program combined with the introduction of non-Latin script domains represents a major shift in the domain name industry, and bodes well for continued growth for AusRegistry International, Mr Kinderis said.
About AusRegistry International
AusRegistry International is a leading global Domain Name Registry Services provider that has dedicated almost a decade to innovation and the expansion of the Internet through the delivery of registry technologies and sophisticated consulting methodologies.
AusRegistry International is the appointed Domain Name Registry Services partner for the .ae (United Arab Emirates) Country Code Top Level Domain (ccTLD), the .qa (Qatar) ccTLD, the .om (Oman) ccTLD, the recently introduced .emarat (ا٠ارات.) Internationalised Domain Name (IDN) ccTLD, the soon to be launched .qatar (Ùطر) IDN ccTLD and the planned .oman (ع٠اÙ.) IDN ccTLD.
AusRegistry International is also assisting South Africa’s .za Domain Name Authority (ZADNA) with the Central Registry project for the.za ccTLD.
AusRegistry International’s parent company, AusRegistry Pty Ltd, is the appointed Domain Name Registry Operator for Australia’s .au ccTLD.
Visit AusRegistry International online at www.ausregistry.com
This AusRegistry International news release was sourced from:
www.ausregistry.com/news-lucrative-Middle-East-Internet-contracts.php
AusRegistry International Spreads Registry Wings To Include Oman
AusRegistry International has spread its registry wings wider, having been contracted by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of Oman to provide registry software and supporting services for the establishment of a new Domain Name Registry System in the Sultanate.
The new registry software will be used for both the existing .OM ccTLD and the planned ع٠اÙ. (.OMAN) Arabic script internationalised country-code Top-Level Domain (IDN ccTLD).
Existing AusRegistry International clients for registry services are the .AE ccTLD, the .QA ccTLD, the recently introduced .EMARAT (ا٠ارات.) IDN ccTLD and the soon to be launched .QATAR (Ùطر.) IDN ccTLD. It is also assisting South Africa’s .ZA Domain Name Authority (ZADNA) with the Central Registry project for the.ZA ccTLD.
More information is available in the AusRegistry International news release below.
AusRegistry International to support internet expansion in Oman [news release]
AusRegistry International, a leading provider of Domain Name Registry Services, was today contracted by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of the Sultanate of Oman to provide Domain Name Registry Software and supporting services for the establishment of a new Domain Name Registry System.
The new Domain Name Registry System will encompass both the existing .om country-code Top-Level Domain (ccTLD) and the planned ع٠اÙ. (.oman) Arabic script Internationalised country-code Top-Level Domain (IDN ccTLD).
The TRA’s decision to select AusRegistry International for this critical national infrastructure project was made at the conclusion of a global open tender process and confirms AusRegistry International’s position as a global leader in the Domain Name Registry Software industry.
AusRegistry International’s best of breed Domain Name Registry Software will be customised to suit the Omani legal and cultural context and will enable industry best practice systems and processes for the Omani ccTLDs. This project will play a critical role in the development of Oman’s internet infrastructure at a crucial moment in the expansion of domain names to accommodate non-Latin language scripts including Arabic.
AusRegistry International CEO Adrian Kinderis said, “We are extremely excited to have been selected by the TRA to provide a customised Domain Name Registry System and supporting services for Oman’s country-code Top-Level Domains. This most recent project appointment has reinforced our leadership in the Domain Name Registry Services marketplace and has once again displayed our commitment to the advancement of the internet within the Middle East. We look forward to delivering another successful outcome for the TRA in Oman.”
“We have made a significant investment to ensure that our Domain Name Registry Software is fully compliant with the recently ratified IDNA2008 protocol to support Arabic and all other non-Latin scripts. We now are at the absolute forefront of an internet revolution that will ensure the continued improvement of internet accessibility across all language groups. I am extremely proud to say that our technology will now be supporting three Arabic script Internationalised (IDN) ccTLDs, in addition to five standard ccTLDs from around the world,” Mr Kinderis continued.
Eng. Mohammed Al-Kindi – Senior Manager of Technical Affairs Unit of the Omani TRA said, “AusRegistry International met the evaluation criteria and were the highest ranked respondents to the tender issued by the TRA for the provision of a new Domain Name Registry System for Oman. As such, the TRA has chosen to partner with AusRegistry International to establish a new Domain Name Registry System for Oman that will provide benefits to the Omani community for many years to come.”
About AusRegistry International
AusRegistry International is a leading Domain Name Registry Services provider that has dedicated almost a decade to innovation and the expansion of the internet through the delivery of feature-rich Domain Name Registry technologies and sophisticated consulting methodologies.
With millions of active domain names under management, many happy clients around the world and a track record of unparalleled Domain Name Registry performance, AusRegistry International is the ideal Domain Name Registry Services partner for ccTLD managers and new gTLD applications across the globe.
AusRegistry International is the appointed Domain Name Registry Services partner for the .ae ccTLD, the .qa ccTLD, the recently introduced .emarat (ا٠ارات.) IDN ccTLD and the soon to be launched .qatar (Ùطر.) IDN ccTLD. AusRegistry International is also assisting South Africa’s .za Domain Name Authority (ZADNA) with the Central Registry project for the.za ccTLD.
AusRegistry International’s parent company, AusRegistry Pty Ltd is the appointed Domain Name Registry Operator for Australia’s .au ccTLD.
ausregistry.com/news-omanexpansion.php
Two Million .AU Domains Registered
In the last 24 hours, the Australian ccTLD passed the two million base registrations landmark, the registry announced overnight Australian time.
.AU has been growing quickly in recent years following gradual relaxation of registration requirements. Originally a company name had to have a domain name that exactly matched, however as the market has matured, so have registrations requirements changed.
In 2002 au Domain Administration (auDA) introduced a new registry model with AusRegistry winning the tender to operate the registry. Back then there were 275,000 .AU domain names registered and .AU domains were commonly viewed as expensive and highly regulated.
With the relaxation has seen a steady increase in registrations, and .AU is one of the fastest growing ccTLDs according to VeriSign’s Domain Name Industry Brief. In their latest report, VeriSign notes that among the 20 largest ccTLDs .AU, along with .PL (Poland), .CA (Canada), and .CH (Switzerland) were the only four that exceeded four per cent quarter-over-quarter growth.
.AU and .PL also joined the .RU (Russian Federation) and the .US (United States) as top 20 ccTLDs exceeding 20 per cent year-over-year growth.
Of the top TLDs, .COM has the most registrations with around 93 million registrations. Following are .DE (Germany 14.24m) and .NET (approximately 12m) while .UK (United Kingdom) has 9.19 million registrations with a similar number for .ORG. There are over 205 million domain names registered globally across all TLDs VeriSign announced in their Domain Name Industry Brief as of the end of last December.
The original rules for .AU were originally written by Melbourne University academic Robert Elz who later passed on .AU management to a university company that later became Melbourne IT. Today the registry is managed by AusRegistry.
To register your .AU domain name, check out Asia Registry here.
ICANN Tokyo meeting provides a little more clarity on the New gTLD Program by Tony Kirsch
New gTLDs continue to be a major topic of discussion within ICANN circles, and the regional meeting currently underway in Tokyo has revealed some interesting updates for potential applicants.
ICANNâs Chief gTLD Registry Liaison, Craig Schwartz, delivered a great presentation on the progress being made behind the scenes at ICANN and provided the attendees with an insight into a couple of key changes that are likely to be seen in the Final Applicant Guidebook. As many of our readers would be aware, we have been waiting in anticipation for the new gTLD Final Applicant Guidebook to be approved at a previously unconfirmed meeting of the ICANN Board. The date for is meeting was today announced as 23rd-24th September.
Like many others in the industry, weâll be actively watching for the outcomes of this Board retreat where the focus will be on the new gTLD programâs remaining unresolved issues. In particular, the Boardâs willingness to address the complicated Vertical Integration topic (given the inability of the VI Working Group to reach consensus) will be of interest to the many applicants likely to be affected by the outcome.
On another interesting note, one very important topic that has been flying under the radar is Registry Transition, namely the current requirement for new gTLD applicants to provide both a backup Registry Services organisation and a financial instrument sufficient to guarantee a minimum of three years of Registry operations in the event of the TLD owner being unable to operate it.
Obtaining a backup Registry Services provider is not particularly difficult. However, for many potential applicants (in particular smaller community-based applicants) the requirement to obtain a letter of credit from a financial organisation is an enormous burden and a significant additional cost.
Acknowledging this today and noting that the protection of the Registrant is paramount to this process, Schwartz said that ICANN had invested significant time and will further expand the recent concept of Emergency Backend Registry Operator (and yet another acronym, EBERO) whereby qualified applicants (i.e. Existing Registry Operators) could tender to ICANN to provide âtemporaryâ Registry Services in the event of critical failure of the Registry Operator to operate the gTLD.
This is a great initiative and should be welcomed by the community for two key reasons:
a) It has the potential to remove the requirement to name a pre-organised backup Registry Service.
b) It has the potential to reduce the level of financial guarantee to ICANN from applicants.
Other interesting points worthy of note from yesterdayâs session:
- Communications Plan â This is being worked on by ICANN currently but wonât be rolled out until the Final Applicant Guidebook is approved, almost guaranteeing that the earliest date for applications will be March or April 2011
- DAGv4 Summary of Analysis â This wonât be released to the public until after the Boardâs retreat, which is a surprise given that the public comment finished quite some time ago
- IDN ccTLD Fast Track â ICANN have 33 applicants, representing 22 languages, currently under review as this program continues to drive the expansion of the internet provide across the globe.
All in all, these small yet important pieces of information represent yet another positive step forward in the new gTLD process. I for one canât wait to see what the next few months will bring.
Click here to see the presentations from the Tokyo meeting as provided by ICANN.
This posting by Tony Kirsch, Senior Manager – International Business Development at AusRegistry International, was sourced from:
www.ausregistry.com/blog/?p=536
AusRegistry International Celebrates IDNA 2008 Protocol Approval for Internationalised Domain Names
[news release] The body responsible for the development and promotion of Internet Standards (the Internet Engineering Task Force or IETF), has approved IDNA 2008 as the official Internet protocol for Internationalised Domain Names by publishing the Internet Drafts as official RFCs.Â
This important milestone marks a significant step in the advancement of Internationalised Domain Names (IDNs) and will ensure the Internet continues to become more usable and accessible to non-Latin language communities.
AusRegistry International, a global provider of IDN-enabled Domain Name Registry Services that support the IDNA 2008 protocol, congratulates the IETF on this latest announcement.
âWe would like to extend our congratulations to the IETF working group associated with the confirmation of IDNA 2008 protocol as the standard for Internationalised Domains Names. This is indeed a significant achievement and will no doubt play a vital role in dramatically improving accessibility and usability of the Internet for non-Latin language communities across the globe” said Adrian Kinderis, AusRegistry International CEO.
âAusRegistry International has long been a supporter of the Internationalised Domain Name program. We realised the potential of Internationalised Domain Names many years ago and as a consequence took a calculated risk when implementing IDNA 2008 protocol into our Domain Name Registry System before it was finalised. The announcement by the IETF this week has vindicated our decision and now positions our technology at the cutting edge of Domain Name Registry Systems. With IDNA 2008 already active within our Domain Name Registry System, we are now ideally suited to aid in the further expansion of the Internet into the world’s non-Latin language communitiesâ.
âFurther, with the Generic Top Level Domain program (new gTLDs) due for introduction in early 2011, we are certain this decision will substantially increase the number of IDNs seen at the conclusion of the new gTLD application period. This is an extremely positive move for the greater Domain Name industry as we plan for the requirements of generations to comeâ Mr. Kinderis continued.
AusRegistry International is the appointed Domain Name Registry Services partner for the active .emarat and soon to be launched .qatar IDN ccTLDs.
About AusRegistry International
AusRegistry International is a wholly owned subsidiary of AusRegistry Pty Ltd, the current Registry Operator for the .au ccTLD. The organisation was formed to leverage AusRegistry’s DNS expertise and infrastructure to provide a platform for the innovative use of this technology in the provision of ‘World’s Best Practice’ Domain Name Registry Services on a global basis. AusRegistry International is heavily involved in the Domain Name Industry in a consultative, advisory and technical capacity and is focused on providing superior Registry Services for new gTLD applicants and ccTLD Registry Operators.
This AusRegistry International news release was sourced from:
www.ausregistry.com/news-IDNAptotocol.php
First .emarat Arabic script domain name is live! by Jon Lawrence
The .emarat Arabic script Internationalised Domain Name (IDN) ccTLD for the United Arab Emirates has been entered into the DNS Root Zone and is therefore now resolving.This is a truly historic moment in the development of the Internet in the United Arab Emirates and the wider Arabic-speaking world as it removes the last hurdle preventing people without English-language skills from enjoying the full benefits that the Internet has to offer.’.emarat’ is a transliteration of امارات. (note that Arabic is read from right to left).The first Arabic script domain name is: عربي.اماراتwhich is transliterated as arabi.emarat.The deployment of امارات. (.emarat) to the Root Zone represents the culmination of a process that has been ongoing for over a decade, involving tireless work by hundreds of individuals and organisations around the world to extend the support of Domain Name System from the 37 characters previously allowed (the 26 characters of the English alphabet, the digits 0-9 and the hyphen ‘-‘) to the thousands of characters from every language around the world.The introduction of .emarat highlights AusRegistry International’s commitment to provide full support for the IDNA2008 standard into their Domain Name Registry Software, which has been implemented to enable the .emarat Registry System.We are honoured to be supporting the launch of امارات. (.emarat), through our partnership with the .ae Domain Administration (aeDA) and the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of the UAE. In addition to providing the Domain Name Registry Software, AusRegistry International is also providing consultancy assistance for the launch processes involved in bringing this historic new ccTLD into the market.As part of the launch of امارات. (.emarat), a Sunrise Period will be held, to allow provide trademark holders an opportunity to protect their rights in this new Top Level Domain. Following the Sunrise Period, a Landrush Period will be conducted to allow for the registration of high-demand generic domain names.In addition to امارات. (.emarat), two other Arabic script IDN ccTLDs have also been added to the Root Zone:السعودية. (.alsaudiah) representing Saudi Arabiaمصر. (.misr) representing EgyptWe would like to extend our congratulations to our friends and colleagues in the United Arab Emirates, as well as in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, for reaching this exciting and important milestone.A fourth IDN ccTLD, .рф (Cyrillic for ‘rf’) representing the Russian Federation is expected to be added to the Root Zone very shortly.This article by AusRegistry’s Jon Lawrence was sourced from:
www.ausregistry.com/blog/?p=384
AusRegistry International Selected to Provide Assistance in Launching Arabic IDN
AusRegistry International announced it has been selected by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of the United Arab Emirates to provide expert assistance and advice in support of the implementation of the Arabic رات   .ا (.emarat) Internationalised Domain Name (IDN) country-code Top Level Domain (ccTLD).
âI am delighted that we will continue to build on our excellent relationship with the TRA with the .emarat project,â said AusRegistry International CEO, Adrian Kinderis.
âThe AusRegistry International team has built considerable capability in all aspects of IDNs and we are excited to be playing a part in the introduction of such an important milestone for the UAE â to be enabling the use of Arabic Domain Names in the UAE and by being one of the first IDN ccTLDs to be launched.â
âAusRegistry International has played a critical role in the success we have achieved in developing the .ae ccTLD to be one of the leading ccTLDs in the region, and we look forward to their assistance in replicating that success with the .emarat IDN ccTLD,â said Mohammed Gheyath, Executive Director of the TRA.
The TRA applied to ICANN for the .emarat IDN ccTLD in November 2009 as part of the IDN ccTLD Fast Track program. The IDN ccTLD Fast Track program was created by ICANN to allow organisations representing countries that use non-Latin scripts to apply for their full country name, an abbreviation or other representation of their country name using their native script. The implementation of IDN ccTLDs represents an historic step forward in terms of inclusiveness for those countries that use non-Latin scripts and will be a crucial milestone towards the bridging of the digital divide in these countries.
âThis opportunity highlights AusRegistry Internationalâs continued interest in the Middle East region and efforts to further promote the use of native languages on the Internet.â Kinderis said, âWe look forward to working with other countries as they look to secure and roll out their IDNâ.
AusRegistry International and the TRA have enjoyed a strong relationship over a number of years, beginning in 2006 when AusRegistry International was engaged to provide consultancy services in relation to the review of the framework, governance and administration of the .ae ccTLD. In 2008, the .ae ccTLD was relaunched using AusRegistry Internationalâs industry-leading Domain Name Registry Software, and in 2009 this was upgraded to include full support for the IDNA2008 standard for IDNs. The AusRegistry International Domain Name Registry Software will be used for the Registry System for the .emarat IDN ccTLD.
To date, 15 strings, representing 12 countries and involving seven different scripts have passed the ICANNâs evaluation phase, and are therefore able to apply to have these strings delegated as IDN ccTLDs. It is possible that the first of these IDN ccTLDs may be delegated by the end of this month, if approved by the ICANN Board at their next meeting on the 22nd April.