June 22, 2011 02:41
On June 20, 2011, ICANN, the LA-based Internet Corporation for Names and Numbers finally approved a plan to radically increase the numbers of domain name endings - generic top-level domains (gTLDs) from the current 22.
The approval opens the door for internet address names to end in almost any word in any language and frees websites from the bonds of .com, .net, .org type suffixes. The ICANN approval offers people/companies/organizations the opportunity to market their brand, services, products, community or cause in new and creative ways, and is set to play a pivotal role in the future of online interactions.
According to Peter Dengate Thrush, Chairman of ICANN's Board of Directors, the decision will usher in a new age for the internet, and will serve as a platform for next generation of creativity and inspiration. The move is set to play an increasing important role in how people find information on the web and how businesses structure and plan their online brand presence.
Applications for new gTLDs will be accepted from 12 January 2012 to 12 April 2012. The process is expected to reel in big corporations, organizations and even cities, eager to acquire more control over their web presence.
We shall see how this development, which is been considered the “biggest shakeup” in Internet history since the introduction of the .com pattern, unfolds. However with a price tag of $185,000 or AED 680,000 apiece, and annual fees on top, the new gTLDs are clearly not meant for everyone.
