Launch of Chinese, Japanese and Korean “.Asia” IDN Continues:
Priority Sunrise Registrations will Close on July 25 2011,
Open Landrush Registrations to Begin August 2, 2011
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Hong Kong, 2011 July 12 – Following the approval from ICANN for the implementation of the new gTLD (Generic Top-Level Domain) program, DotAsia today announces its plans to support new gTLDs from Asia, including its own IDN (Internationalized Domain Name) TLDs: “.亚洲/.亞洲 “, “.アジア”, “.아시아”, etc. and applications from other Asian new gTLD applicants.
“As one of the latest new gTLD ourselves, and as a not-for-profit organization with a core mandate to promote Internet development and adoption in Asia, DotAsia is well equipped to provide support to new gTLD aspirants from Asia. We believe our experience and understanding in the ICANN process, domain policies, technology and market will help Asian new gTLDs, for profit or community initiatives become successful,” says Edmon Chung, Cheif Executive Officer of DotAsia. “Domain names are analogous to real-estate on the Internet, and this opening of new gTLDs by ICANN is like a watershed deregulation. We are eager and prepared to lend our expertise and to assist Asian initiatives so Asia does not lose out on this ‘land grab’. Domain names are also an important Internet resource that supports development, especially the introduction of Asian language IDN gTLDs.”
DotAsia is planning to offer support to new gTLD applicants from Asia, assisting in the application process, development of policies, finances, community development and other aspects of applying, creating and operating a new gTLD. Interested parties are welcome to inquire further at: info@ngtld.asia.
Meanwhile, building on the successful Sunrise and Landrush launch of English alphanumeric (ASCII) .Asia domain registrations in 2007 and 2008, the Sunrise (i.e. Priority Registration) for Chinese, Japanese and Korean Internationalized Domain Name (IDN — web address represented in local languages) continues with a similar phased approach to ensure an orderly introduction of IDN .Asia domains. Sunrise (http://www.idn.asia) and the Pioneer Domains Program (http://pioneer.domains.asia), opened on May 11, will close on July 25, 2011.
The launch of .Asia IDN coincides with the decision made by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to allow an increase in the number of Internet address endings – called generic top-level domains (gTLDs) beyond the existing 22 at their 41st Public Meeting, held last month in Singapore. The plan will usher in one of the biggest changes ever to the Internet’s Domain Name System as Internet addresses will be able to end with and expressed entirely in any language or script, offering organizations around the world the opportunity to market their brand, products, community or cause, and to connect with users in new and innovative ways.
“IDNs will change the perceived value of domain names in Asia as businesses discover the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) value of domains. The hundreds of millions of Chinese, Japanese and Korean users are actively searching online in their native language. IDN realizes the SEO value by making it possible to have a domain name that matches what users are searching for, thereby improving the ranking of your website,” added Chung.
About DotAsia Organisation
DotAsia Organisation (https://www.dot.asia) is a regional not-for-profit organization with a mission to promote Internet development and adoption around Asia. DotAsia oversees the “.Asia” top-level Internet domain name, and is formed as an open membership consortium of official domain authorities around the region, including .CN (China), .JP (Japan), .KR (Korea), .IN (India), .NZ (New Zealand), .PH (Philippines), etc., and regional Internet organizations including APNIC, APNG, APCERT, PAN and APTLD. DotAsia has a core mandate towards digital inclusion, education and research and development.
Issued for and on behalf of DotAsia Organisation by Mention PR Consultants Ltd.
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