Date: 18/09/2011
Title: Are the domain floodgates about to open?
After years of restriction on domains being constrained to .com, .co.uk, .net, etc... It appears that ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), the international body that coordinates Internet names, will approved the expansion of domains and allowed companies to add web domain suffixes for their brands, generic names, or even cities: .orlando, .green, .walmart, .hosting, .nyc, .food, .news, etc.
Company web addresses will add their brand names as the web domain suffix so instead of .com they will be able to use .pepsi, .apple, .google, etc. – instead of the 22 current generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs): .com, .org, .net, etc.
This is not only a huge opportunity for companies to gain more control over their Online Presence, but will also shift the way search engines – Google, Yahoo, etc – find results, the way companies use Search-Engine Optimization to improve visibility of their websites in search results, and the way companies direct traffic to specific parts of their sites.
However, there are three major issues that hold back the race for new domains: The upgrade will be very expensive. The application fee alone is said to be around £100,000 and the annual fee comes in at around £13,000. The millions of pounds in expenses might cut the market down to a few large corporations and cities, but the handful of lucky investors will be “provided (with) a platform for creativity and inspiration, and for the next big dot-thing” said Peter Denegate Thrush, chairman of ICANN’s Board of Directors.
Shaun Gilbert, Director - Born Ready Design & Marketing
