Talking Internet with Tina Dam, founder of MyTLD, is a pleasant experience. She doesn't believe in jargon, she believes in simplification of the web. She is a strong votary of domain names in native languages. Heading the IDN (Internationalised Domain Names) programme at Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), she batted for Indian languages. She believes that lessons learnt in India in this regard may well help the world in democratising the web. In Hyderabad recently to attend the CDAC meeting on IDNs, she speaks on some pertinent aspects.
What are the key issues involved?
Once the TLDs (top level domains) are launched and made available for registration through registrars and resellers, the key issues evolve around usability. Having the right tools in place is vital: for IDNs this means hardware (keyboard that can handle the typing of language-based characters) and software (online keyboards, the implementation of IDNs in different applications such as browsers and adoption in search engines).
What are the steps involved when someone wants to have a domain name or extension in a local language?
A gTLD (generic TLD) applicant will need to apply at ICANN. ICANN is not always open to receiving such applications. The next and only published round is January 12, 2012, and the window closes three months later. The application fee to ICANN is $1,85,000. In addition, there will be work and costs associated with building the application itself. There is a lot of requirement set by ICANN that needs to be fulfilled in an application. This goes across financial capabilities, through business planning, including intent and policies for the TLD, and on to the entire technical setup.
ICANN's programme will perform evaluations of received applications, including comparative analysis, and in some cases, extended evaluations of applicant's proposed registry services. Depending on the need for additional or extended evaluations there may be a cost associated with this as well.
Finally, if more than one entity applies for the same TLD, and presuming that both or all applicants pass all established criteria, then the applications will go to auction, which will incur additional costs. On top of this comes, of course, launch and ongoing administration, which varies in costs depending on the nature of the TLD.
What does MyTLD do in this regard?
MyTLD provides Top-Level Domain Management Services for brands, companies, industries and governments looking to leverage the gTLD opportunity to create a sustainable, competitive advantage. We work with gTLD applicant clients through the phases of development of strategy, intent, business plan, and policies; application writing, submission and management (managing any complaints or objections filed as well as any needs for extended or comparative evaluations); to launch and ongoing administration.
Keywords: Internet, top level domain services, ICANN