Yes, ICANN: tech boom back as new .anything age starts?

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Tuesday, 21 June 2011 11:40

Your IT - Home IT

Hailing its own decision to launch new top-level domains as the ushering in of a new Internet age, the number of possible web addresses in any language is likely set to explode, as personalised domains seem destined to become the eventual norm.

Although everyone is familiar with the dotcom addresses and multiple country variants that have been in place over the past few years, all of those web addresses generally end in a specific, abbreviated country designation.

Naturally, this led to the desire for web addresses which could end in a particular word or brand, and it has taken some time for that particular desire to become reality.

While it means that we might see .advancedhair .yeahyeah domains and crass commercials popping up, there's a pretty hefty fee of US $185,000 to stop the usual morass of domain name squatters from rapidly buying up every valuable domain name in sight (or site, so to speak).

While the world has been waiting for ICANN's board to formulate and then approve a plan, years have passed, but finally, ICANN has done it, broadening the current 'generic top-level domains' or gTLDs from the current 22, including the well-known .com, .net, .org and others, to an effectively unlimited number. 

Rod Beckstrom, ICANN's CEO and President, said: '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."

Well, hopefully it does serve all of mankind and womankind very well indeed, making information more organised and domain names even more obvious than they should already be.

After all, ICANN says the new gTLDs 'will change the way people find information on the Internet and how businesses plan and structure their online presence. 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.'

ICANN's Chairman, Peter Dengate Thrush, presumably hopes there'll be a rush through the gates when he states that ICANN's decision 'will usher in a new Internet age', and boasting that ICANN has 'provided a platform for the next generation of creativity and inspiration'.

A 'global campaign' will soon start so ICANN can 'tell the world about this dramatic change in Internet names and to raise awareness of the opportunities afforded by new gTLDs'.

If you or your company has a spare US $185,000 to splash on replacing your current, very cheap dotcom name to your own dotbrand, ICANN says 'applications for new gTLDs will be accepted from 12 January 2012 to 12 April 2012.'