The new gTLDs mean a new Internet
- Posted by:
- Damian Hope
- Tags:
- Domain Extensions
- Posted date:
- 08-01-2014
If you run a business or organisation online, you will recognise the feeling you get when someone else has snapped up the domain name you need. This is especially true if you already have an established offline business, and are finally making the leap into the online world. You may find that you pick the domain name you need and then choose a ".com" string after it, assuming that all will be well.
In recent months however, the market has become so saturated that it has become nigh on impossible to get the exact domain you need. It has been established wisdom for years now that unless you have a ".com" you're not going to achieve that vital online communication with your customers. But what happens if the .com you need is simply not available?
A long-awaited step with domain names
Finally, it seems that the people in charge of domains have taken this ridiculously high level of competition into account. In October 2013 ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) took the long-awaited step of introducing some new generic top-level domains. In plain English, that means that there is much more in the world now than ".com" or ".net". In fact, there are many more strings you can have after your domain name.
The new gTLD (generic top level domain) program that ICANN has introduced means that the number of domain strings (such as .com) after your company name, for example, will increase massively. Currently, along with the ubiquitous ".com", there are 21 other strings available, from ".net" to ".co.uk", and so on.
Domain name strings will increase beyond expectations
The new gTLD framework will increase the number of possible strings to a potential 1,400. This means that, assuming a string becomes popular, the level of completion will rocket, and people will be able to differentiate themselves from their competitors much more easily than they did before.
What is even more interesting, and perhaps a little more democratic, is the fact that strings in other languages are being made available too. This means that the "new Internet" will accommodate other cultures, which better reflects the diversity and access that the world is enjoying now online.
But it's all about the registries. These companies are responsible for bidding, acquiring, and then releasing the new domain names to the public. ICANN has made a promise that it intends to ensure that the new domains are as secure as they could be, and part of this includes the 30-day waiting period a registry has to go through before checks etc. have been cleared and it is allowed to trade in new gTLDs.
Over the next two years Easy Domains are able to register these domain names as they become available. Please contact our team on 0800 058 8250 to pre order yours today.
Finally, unique domains are available
Perhaps the biggest winners here are the businesses that wish to stand out online. Having a domain name that truly reflects what you do, and is also new and unique, means that you gain an extra step ahead of the competition.
It's a healthy move, and one that should ensure the Internet continues to be an exciting, and more inclusive space.