As New gTLD Application Period Opens, FairWinds Encourages Early Action

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Tonight at 7:00 pm EST (12:00 am Thursday UTC), the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will open the application period for new generic top-level domains (gTLDs). For the first time, new gTLD applicants will be able to register in ICANN's TLD Application System (TAS), and FairWinds Partners, the leading domain name analysis and advisory firm, is advising brands that plan to apply for new gTLDs to register early.

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While most reports focus on the fact that the application period closes on April 12, it is important to remember that the last day to register for the TAS is March 29, 2012. Registration involves a multi-step process that requires applicants to answer the first twelve questions of the application, as well as submit the initial deposit of $5,000. On the surface, those first twelve seem like purely informational questions, but the way an applicant answers them can have broader implications for their applications as a whole. In FairWinds' experience, companies have taken weeks to determine the most strategic way to answer these initial questions.

"According to ICANN, applying early will not give applicants any specific advantage during the new gTLD evaluation process, but because the application is complex and requires coordination between many departments and vendors, companies who are planning to apply for a new gTLD would be wise to get an early start," said Phil Lodico, Managing Partner at FairWinds. "For those companies that are still on the fence about whether or not they want to pursue their own new gTLDs (and if so, how many), now is the time to make that decision, and to select a partner to guide them through the application process."

For strategic companies, choosing an experienced and trusted partner, both for the application period and to help manage their ongoing relationship with ICANN, is crucial, as ICANN continues to make changes to the policy surrounding the New gTLD Program. Just today, at a conference at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, ICANN President and CEO Rod Beckstrom stated that a new version of the New gTLD Applicant Guidebook is scheduled to be released tomorrow.

Because ICANN has stipulated that it reserves the right to make changes to the New gTLD Program at any time, such eleventh hour developments are not entirely unexpected. In addition to providing its clients with a full suite of new gTLD consulting and application services, FairWinds also provides readers with the latest updates and policy developments within ICANN and the New gTLD Program through various communications, including its gTLD Strategy blog.

FairWinds specializes in helping global brands optimize and promote their web presence through the development and implementation of tailored domain name strategies. If you are interested in learning more about FairWinds' services, please contact us for more information.

Contact:
Samantha Demetriou
[email protected]
+1 202 223 9252

SOURCE FairWinds Partners, LLC

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