In my series of posts on new TLDs, the goal has always been to inform and provide insight, from the perspective of a registrar.  With there being so much focus on ICANN and on registry operators during the initial stages of the nTLD process, we felt the voice of the registrar needed to be heard.  This is because, from our perspective, success for any new TLD will greatly depend on its support of registrars.

My first post, “Does HEXONET Have Plans to be a REGISTRY Operator for newTLDs?“, was intended to make it clear that as a long standing registrar, our goal is to make any nTLD a success by doing what we have always done, by being a great registrar and nothing more.  My second post, “Choosing a Registry Operator for New TLDs“, was done to help prospective registry operators think critically about there registry platform, probably the single biggest decision that will affect their registry today and for years to come.  I wanted to give some key insights on registry platforms from our nearly ten years of operational knowledge as a registrar working with these various solutions and technologies.

Making It Easy for Registrars to Start Selling Your nTLD

Today’s post is to take the next step beyond the ICANN process and registry platforms, to start talking about registrars, the gatekeepers to the end customer.  For a prospective registry, the biggest questions about registrars is how to get as many of them on board as quickly as possible.  Most registrars are very busy selling domains, supporting domains, managing systems, and simply running their business.  And for many registrars, engineering resources are tight or non-existent.  As a result, for registrars, choosing to implement a nTLD requires a substantial return on investment.

Given that even adding one nTLD for a registrar is a commitment, how will the possibility of  three, four or ten nTLD introductions in a given year affect that choice?  Registry operators need to be cognizant of possible slow registrar acceptance and implementation.  Sounds a bit scary right?  The good news is that HEXONET has a solution called RegistrarOC (Registrar Operations Center) that helps registrar’s quickly, easily, and cost-effectively add any new TLD.

Help for Registrars in a Crowded nTLD Marketplace

Potentially hundreds of nTLDs will be available over the next years.  Some of them are listed below.  A  more complete list of declared and potential applicants has been published by Kieren McCarthy, CEO of .NXT.

• Community new TLDs: .eco, .gay, .gmbh, .fam, .love, .poker, …etc.
• geo newTLDs: .tokyo, .nyc, .berlin, .paris, .sfo, .scot, .bcn, .china, …etc.
• .brand newTLDs: .canon, .hitachi, .post, .motorola, .aigo, …etc.
• generic newTLDs: .app, .bank, .bike, .food, .free, .music, .web, .videos, …etc.

What if there was a way for registrars to simply add a nTLD to their sales system with little or no technical effort for registry integration, testing and on-going maintenance?  In this scenario, registrars can then offer a nTLD as soon it is available, even offer pre-registration!  This is exactly how HEXONET’s RegistrarOC solution helps registry operators and registrars.

HEXONET’s RegistrarOC solution takes away all the technical and engineering overhead for registrars.  Designed to be plug and play, once a registrar is connected with the RegistrarOC solution, adding a nTLD is as simple as throwing a switch (add an accreditation and go!).  We even help and guide new businesses become accredited or help existing registrars quickly add new accreditations.

HEXONET has successfully managed a comprehensive and extensive portfolio of gTLDs  and ccTLDs accreditations for nearly a decade.  We specialize in inter-operating with all the registry platforms at industry leading reliability and performance.  So with RegistrarOC, not only do registrars plug in to the technology, but more importantly, they also plug in to all the operational and engineering expertise garnered by HEXONET over the years.

How Does RegistrarOC Work?

Customers Responsibilities:

• Integrate with HEXONET’s systems to manage your domains (Add, Transfer, Renew, Modify, ..etc) using a multitude one or a combination of interfaces: Mailrobot,  EPP 1.0, HTTPS-API, SOAP, XML/RPC and Web Interface
• Execute the RAA (Registrar-Accreditation-Agreement) with a respective registry
  
• Maintain a good standing with the Registry and ICANN
• Execute an Agreement with a Registrar Data Escrow Supplier (e.g. Iron Mountain)
• Pay your registry and ICANN Invoices

HEXONET Responsibilities:

• Conduct OT&E testing with the respective registry
• Technically manage your production account
• Ensure your accreditation is always up to date with the latest registry technical developments (DNSSEC, IPv6, …etc.)
• Ensure you are in compliance with various ICANN requirements, such as RDE (Registrar Data Escrow), WDRP (Whois-Data-Reminder-Policy), …etc.
• Ensure your data is always in-sync with the registry – a highly underestimated task by registrars that is potential very expensive future cost

If you are interested in learning more then either visit the “RegistrarOC” solutions page or send us an email at sales@hexonet.net.  We would be happy to arrange a quick conference call to explain the product in more detail.

At 5:00 p.m. CEST, CentralNic launched its latest domain COM.DE with much success.  This offering further broadens CentralNic’s already wide and popular selection of domains.  HEXONET throughout the pre-registration phases has seen strong demand for COM.DE domains these past few months and believes that registrations will continue now that it is open to everyone.

HEXONET achieved a near PERFECT score today at the opening of COM.DE with an amazing 97% success rate in obtaining domains pre-registered by HEXONET clients.   This success rate is insane considering the number of unique pre-registrations.  Once again, resellers and clients are very happy with HEXONET and our advanced technology platform.  Find out why you too should place your pre-registrations for future domains with HEXONET.

The same technology for pre-registrations is used as the backbone of our Backordering technology as well.  Currently at HEXONET, 18 different TLDs can be backordered with ease.  Though we are proud of the selection of TLDs our clients can backorder, we are actually more proud of the success rate our platform is at obtaining valuable expiring domains for them!

Jens Wagner and our team of talented engineers have highly optimized and specialized HEXONET’s backordering and pre-registration technology over years of research and development.  And we believe that our technology is best in class at submitting and acquiring domains no matter if it is through the regular pre-registration Go Live , or at domain expiration.

Give HEXONET’s pre-registration and backordering services a try and see why our customers are happy with the service and the technology.

ICANN Approves Historic Change to Internet’s Domain Name System

Plan to Launch New Generic Top-Level Domains Is Approved in Singapore

Singapore… ICANN’s Board of Directors has approved a plan to usher in one of the biggest changes ever to the Internet’s Domain Name System.

During a special meeting, the Board approved a plan to allow an increase in the number of Internet address endings – called generic top-level domains (gTLDs) – from the current 22, which includes such familiar domains as .com, .org and .net.

“ICANN has opened the Internet’s naming system to unleash the global human imagination. Today’s decision respects the rights of groups to create new Top Level Domains in any language or script. We hope this allows the domain name system to better serve all of mankind,” said Rod Beckstrom, President and Chief Executive Officer of ICANN.

New gTLDs will change the way people find information on the Internet and how businesses plan and structure their online presence. Virtually every organization with an online presence could be affected in some way.

Internet address names will be able to end with almost any word in any language, offering organizations around the world the opportunity to market their brand, products, community or cause in new and innovative ways.

“Today’s decision will usher in a new Internet age,” said Peter Dengate Thrush, Chairman of ICANN’s Board of Directors. “We have provided a platform for the next generation of creativity and inspiration.”

The decision to proceed with the gTLD program follows many years of discussion, debate and deliberation with the Internet community, business groups and governments. Strong efforts were made to address the concerns of all interested parties, and to ensure that the security, stability and resiliency of the Internet are not compromised.

ICANN will soon begin a global communications program to tell the world about this dramatic change in Internet names and to raise awareness of the opportunities afforded by new gTLDs. The application process will also use this period to elaborate on what is involved in applying for a new generic top-level domain.

Under the plan, new gTLDs applications to be accepted beginning on January 12.

The decision to launch the new gTLD program raised the curtain on ICANN’s 41^st public meeting, taking place in Singapore. It is just one of the issues that will dominate the weeklong meeting.

On Wednesday, the focus will turn to cyber security with the inauguration in Singapore of a specially built “hardened” facility, the first of three around the world that are helping to secure the domain names of all countries.

The Singapore meeting will continue through the week and conclude on Friday with a public meeting of the Board of Directors.

Source: http://www.icann.org