Domain name industry updates April 2007
New opportunities with .tel
.tel was approved by ICANN in May 2006 and is a new Top Level Domain (TLD) due for launch in 2008. .tel is being run by Telnic Limited and the registry back-end is provided by Neustar, Inc.
Following the .mobi launch, some clients may wonder if there is a need for another telephony based TLD. Unlike .mobi which is designed to be used by site owners who have developed content specifically for a mobile device, .tel is about communications and will enable domain owners to publish and update in real time their contact information directly in the DNS. The owner of a .tel can decide how their colleagues and clients should reach them, including but not limited to: VoIP, conventional telephony (fixed or wireless), email, SMS, Skype, AIM and many more.
Using the .tel TLD, businesses can securely publish and manage their contact information in real time, controlling how and where customers can communicate with them. Businesses can use .tel to extend their brands, reach mobile customers and better handle customer requests.
An example of this could be entering a company’s .tel address, selecting a geographic location and then their choosing customer service information. Then you could select telephone and speak directly to a company representative in your area. No waiting on automated message systems.
At this stage, the .tel launch is expected in to start Q1 2008. Melbourne IT CBS will update clients as soon a launch plan is finalised from the registry as well as our .tel services.
Montenegro establishes Council for .me domains
A Council has been established to be responsible for .me domain names. The Council is responsible for establishing general rules concerning the domain name and monitoring changes in the area of Internet domains and reporting directly to the government of Montenegro.
The legal framework for the domain names in Montenegro is still in the making but close to being finalised. Once these are released .me domain name will be able to be registered.
Internet domain agency vote against .xxx
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) have once again voted against the creation of the .xxx domain. The vote was announced after three days of decision-making and is likely to please both religious groups and pornographers alike.
It was a relatively strong vote against the domain, as nine board members voted against it, and only five of the remaining six voted in its favour, with one abstaining.
Speaking briefly, Vinton Cerf, ICANN chairman, said: “This decision was the result of very careful scrutiny and consideration of all the arguments. That consideration has led a majority of the board to believe that the proposal should be rejected.”
Niue vs .nu: a colonial battle
The government of Niue, a sparsely populated island near New Zealand, is in a legal battle with an American businessman, who owns the rights to the .nu domain. William Semich obtained the rights to the domain name in 1997 as he was the first to register for one, and so owns the right to operate and sell the domain name.
However the government of the small island country of Niue, whose main export is coconuts, are claiming it is ethically abominable to leave the rights with Mr Semich, making reference to times when colonialists would buy great areas of land for very little, by duping native people.
The annual turnover from the .nu domain was the equivalent just over 50 percent of Niue’s GDP in 2006. “This is a struggle for justice and for the end of digital colonialism”, said Toke Talagi, travelling ambassador for Niue.
Domain name owners the target of more fraud
Domain name owners are the new target of phishing scams, say the SANS Internet Storm Centre. Research carried out by SANS, an Internet security community, stated that domain name owners were being targeted with emails offering to buy the domain, and which provided a link to a forum in which users discussed reputable domain appraisal companies.
Overwhelmingly and unsurprisingly – one company was cited to be the most reputable throughout the forum feed and so domain owners were duped into using the company to have their domain appraised. The company was a scam organisation.
During 2005 the Internet Crime Complaint Centre (C3) received ten percent fewer complaints, although the actual cost of the crimes committed online rose by $15 million to almost $200 million. This again would suggest criminals are targeting small businesses and “wealthy online resources”, rather than an online shopper.
James E Finch, assistant director of the FBI Cyber Division, added further support to the theory when he told SCMagazine.com: “With phishing, there was a time when it was rather broad-based, and it’s gotten to the point where the attackers have actually honed their skills.”
Microsoft purchases medical search engine
Microsoft has announced plans to buy start-up Medstory, a search engine that specialises in medical and health results. The software giant is planning to push further into the healthcare search market and the acquisition of Medstory, which provides health information based on medical journals, government documents and other trusted sources.
Health information has rapidly become one of the most popular topics for online search and Microsoft claimed in a statement that the Medway purchase is part of attempts to pursue a “broader consumer health strategy”.