Registrar Connections

Prague in December may be chilly but it is always enchanting with its Christmas markets, warm honey liquor, traditional foods and holiday crafts. It was in this setting that the VeriSign Registrar event was held, at the Four Seasons Hotel which is located on the banks of the celebrated Vltava River.

Registrars representing 53% of the European .com and .net base attended to benefit from the Naming Services reports on trends, research, products and services affecting the domain name industry. The event’s topics focused on the particular dynamics of the European region and were designed to assist registrars maximize opportunities towards “Expanding [Your] Business,” the event’s main theme.

Feedback from the attendees indicated that 85% found the event valuable, and the top ‘most useful’ ranked presentations were The Channel Profile (presented by Pat Kane, Vice President of Naming Services), followed by Understanding Policies to Help Your Business (also presented by Pat Kane) and State of the Domain Name Industry (presented by Jill McNabb, Director of Marketing, Naming Services).

2007 Customer Survey Report

First of all, I want to thank all of you who participated in our Customer Satisfaction Surveys throughout 2007. Before I tell you how your feedback has made a difference here at VeriSign, let me share with those of you, who are unfamiliar with our program, exactly how it operates.

When you contact Customer Support, the Technical Support Representative opens a Service Request (SR) which is then tracked until a resolution is reached. When the resolved SR is closed, the system randomly sends an invitation asking you to rate the level of support you received (1-10 Scale, with 10 being World Class Support) and if you believe the issue is finalized. We also ask you to provide us with specific feedback on areas where we can improve our service. The Customer Support Management Team reviews 100% of your surveys, reads your feedback, and contacts all customers who provide us with a score of 7 or below. Additionally, we contact customers who state that their issue was not resolved when we closed the SR. No one really likes complaints, but we earnestly want to know when we aren’t providing you with the service that you need, so we can fix it – and fix it as soon as possible!

This program began in June 2007, and since then – you, our customers, rated us with a terrific score of 8.6! Your evaluation of our service delivery allowed us to improve throughout 2007, so that by year’s end; your feedback resulted in an awesome rating of 9.05! Thank you!

So now let me tell you how your feedback made a difference. As a result of your feedback, the following service delivery improvements were implemented:

Some of you also mentioned that you would like to have access to instant messaging with Customer Support – so we’re happy to announce that we’ll be launching “Chat Service” by the end of February. Be sure to read the February Registrar Connections for more details about this fantastic service.

In the meantime, please continue to participate in the surveys and send us your feedback. We want to hear from you, about what we can do to improve our service. We want our score to be a perfect 10, and you can help us accomplish that goal!

COM/NET IDN Base Continues to Grow in the European Markets

When you think about Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs), many first think about China, Japan and Korea. These countries certainly have large bases of IDNs but did you know that Europe, especially Germany also has a large base of IDNs?

Recent analysis revealed that 23% of all .com/.net IDN registrants were located in European countries. This figure is up from 14% in the first quarter of 2007. The top five European countries with the most .com/.net IDNs registered includes:

VeriSign’s analysis estimates that 20% of the entire .com/.net IDNs are based on Basic and Extended Latin scripts suggesting continuous strong demands for IDNs among European countries.

360 View: Finalist in 2008 SC Magazine Awards Program

VeriSign has been named a finalist in SC Magazine Awards program for outstanding achievement in information-technology (IT) security. “SC Magazine’s distinguished panel of award judges have recognized VeriSign’s leadership and contributions to the world of IT security,” said SC Magazine Editor-in-Chief Illena Armstrong. “VeriSign’s contributions demonstrate the vibrancy and vitality of the IT security industry. They benefit our readers and, in turn, corporate users of technology.”

The annual SC Magazine Awards have recognized key contributors and outstanding products in security for more than a decade. As the industry’s preeminent award program, individuals, brands and products short listed address not only the challenges prominent today, but also the emerging threat landscape of tomorrow.

Customer Service: Frequently Asked Questions

Q: We want to register an IDN .cc domain name. It appears that a variant of the domain name exists at the Registry. However, when I do a check in EPP, it appears available. Why is that?

A: For .cc and .tv IDNs, if there is a variant registered for an IDN, a domain check will not reflect that. The registrar will get the available response when doing the check, but the registration will fail due to the variant.

Q: If a domain is in pending transfer during the auto renew grace period, but the transfer is not tracked until after grace period, is the domain considered to be transferred in auto renew grace period?

A: No the calculation is based on when the transfer completed. However, if the domain name transfers were completed during the Auto Renew Grace Period, the Losing Registrar will receive a credit of the registration fee.

Special Report from eMarketer - Baby Boomers and Silver Surfers: Two Generations Online

Older Americans are the most affluent segment of the US population. Internet usage among baby boomers and those over 60 has increased in the past several years, and it is expected to continue to grow. These trends have combined to create an irresistible opportunity for marketers to target this energetic and growing segment of the US Internet audience.
The number of US baby boomers—those born between 1946 and 1964—who use the Internet at least once a month will reach 63.7 million in 2011, up from 58.2 million in 2006. In other words, 83.2% of US baby boomers will use the Internet regularly in 2011, up from 75% in 2006.
Users over the age of 60 also make up a large and growing segment of the US Internet audience. In 2006 there were 17.7 million Internet users age 62 or older. This group will swell to 25.3 million by 2011. eMarketer projects that this will represent 45.9% of all US citizens age 62 and older, up from 35% in 2006.

To read the full report, please contact Jennifer Moore at 212.763.6046 or send an email to jmoore@emarketer.com.

In the News

This section contains a selection of articles pertaining to the Domain Name Industry compiled by Information, Inc.

"2018: A Domaining Odyssey - Predictions From the Pros"
Dot Sauce (01/13/08)
The December edition of the Modern Domainer magazine asked influential members of the domain market about the future of the industry. Overall, these experts predicted that the domain industry would continue to grow dramatically, though it might be hard to meet the 32 percent growth figure achieved in 2006. One reason given for anticipated sustained growth is that media coverage of the domain industry has demonstrated to the public that domains make for a good investment. Business builders and domain speculators can both make large profits for the small initial investment of registering the domain. Although some believe that the .com domain has been tapped out, Go Daddy's Bob Parsons says the industry has "only scratched the surface" of profitable .com domains. Even though a "good" domain name is more expensive now than it was at the beginning of the Internet, the .com domain still offers investors a solid return because it is a globally-recognized brand. Some areas of the domain market that are expected to grow include the transition of domains from parked to active marketing pages and domain name development. One analyst mentioned America's .us ccTLD as one area that good dramatically grow, if citizens realize that the domain is now available for open registration. The domain industry must also be careful to make sure that the public understands the difference between domain speculation and cyber-squatting.

"Notice of Implementation Date for WHOIS National Laws Procedure"
ICANN.org (12/18/07)
ICANN has published a notice of implementation of the ICANN Procedure for Handling WHOIS Conflicts with Privacy Law. The procedure, which will take effect Jan. 17, has been revised to include advice from the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC). Input received from the GAC and members of the ICANN Board in the Los Angeles meeting resulted in new language being added to Sections 1.4, 2.1, 3.1, and 5.1 of the procedure. The new procedure outlines how ICANN will respond to a situation in which a registrar or registry indicates that local or national privacy laws or regulations prevent it from complying with the provisions of its ICANN contract regarding the collection, display, and distribution of personal data through WHOIS. The procedure also includes possible actions for the affected gTLD registry or registrar, though it does not place any new obligations on registries, registrars, or third parties. Finally, the procedure tells gTLD registries, registrars, and other parties what steps they can take in the event of a possible conflict between other legal obligations and the ICANN contractual requirements. http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-18dec07.htm

"Request to Provide Input to Issue Report on Introduction of IDN ccTLDs"
ICANN.org (12/19/07)
The ccNSO council has asked Bart Boswinkel to prepare an Issue Report to examine whether a Policy Development Process (ccPDP) should be launched. If it is deemed necessary, the ccPDP would look into several issues, including whether or not Article IX of the ICANN bylaws applies to IDN ccTLDs associated with the ISO 3166-1 two-letter codes. If the ccPDP finds that Article IX is not applicable, it will look into whether or not it should be. In addition, the ccPDP will look into whether the ccNSO should launch a PDP to develop the policy for the selection and delegation of IDN ccTLDs associated with the ISO 3166-1 two-letter codes. In addition to preparing the Issue Report, Boswinkel will also consider proposing a timeline for conducting each stage of the ccPDP, the joint ccNSO GAC Issues Paper, the technical limitations and requirements including the IDNA Guidelines, and any other matters he feels are relevant. http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-19dec07.htm

"Cyber Security Should Be Personal Priority for All Leaders"
Government Technology (12/13/07)
Cyber security must become a top concern for CEOs, according to a new report from the British-North American Committee and the Atlantic Council of the United States. CEOs who fail to prioritize cyber security leave their companies vulnerable to industrial espionage, as illustrated by the recent cyber attacks on Royal Dutch Shell, Rolls-Royce, and other large companies. "As enterprise on the Internet has become more sophisticated, so have cyber criminals," says ICANN President Paul Twomey, one of the report's authors. "The message of this report is clear--senior government figures and leaders of corporations need to make cyber security a personal priority." The report, "Cyber Attack: A Risk Management Primer for CEOs and Directors," describes information security threats and common data security mistakes. The report also offers suggestions for controlling cyber security risks, such as developing a wide-ranging information security policy to be carried out by senior management. Conducting an enterprise-wide security audit, regularly testing security measures, and staying current on security best practices are other recommendations advanced in the report. "Much work is needed to increase the security of the Internet and its connected computers and to make the environment more reliable for everyone," warned former ICANN president Vint Cerf in the report. "Security is a mesh of actions and features and mechanisms. No one thing makes you secure." http://www.govtech.com/gt/articles/219406

"Overview of E-commerce in South Africa"
Economist Intelligence Unit (12/16/07)
Internet use in South Africa is on the rise, with over 3 million people online and online retail growing by over 20 percent annually from 2004 to 2006. With Internet use expected to continue growing rapidly, South Africa will have to update its copyright law to include online material. Currently South African copyright law only covers "tangible media," such as books. It also remains to be seen how trademark law will be applied to domain names of the .ZA top level domain. The .za Domain Name Authority controls the allocation and naming of domains, thanks to the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002. However, the Department of Communication has not yet created a formal process to resolve domain name disputes. The lack of a formal system is hurting online business growth, with one law firm estimating that it costs 100,000 rands to resolve a dispute. Cyber-squatters are registering domain names in South Africa, exploiting the difficulty of resolving disputes and the lack of jurisdiction of international domain name agreements. The government is considering changes to the Trade Marks Act 194 of 1993 that would apply it to domain names, however it would need to amend six other laws to adequately protect online businesses. http://www.ibls.com/internet_law_news_portal_view.aspx?s=sa&id=1098

"Making The Internet Truly Local"
Domaines.info (12/10/07) Van Gelder, Stephane
ICANN recently launched a test of international domain names that will allow users to register names that are completely in non-English characters. Although IDNs have been available under existing top-level domains since 2000, ICANN hopes to create IDN TLDs. After analysis and lab testing, ICANN put 11 new IDN TLDs in the Internet root for testing in October. A wiki was also set up that allows anyone to test an applications' ability to handle IDNs. The goal is to determine if the system is stable enough to being production deployment of IDN TLDs. Although ICANN can easily create new TLDs in the zone file, it is more complicated to put something in Internet's root zone. "We basically need to find the bugs and get these solved--as opposed to risking breaking the Internet," says Tina Dam, Director of ICANN's IDN program. The implementation of IDNs will allow users to access the Internet using their native language, as opposed to the English characters that they are currently limited to for TLDs. Dam expects the technical work to be completed by the end of 2008, which would be followed by an application period. This would put IDN TLDs on track to launch in early 2009, at the earliest.
http://www.domainesinfo.fr/english/145/making-the-internet-truly-local.php

January 2008

In this issue:

Europe Registrar Day Post-Event Update