Since returning from the ICANN meeting in Seoul, I’ve received a lot of good questions about the Internationalized Domain Name (IDN) announcement made there.

The announcement garnered a lot of attention from our resellers and international media alike. It essentially approves the introduction of IDNs “after the dot” for country code Top Level Domains (ccTLDs). Currently, IDNs are only available “before the dot”, so the extension “after the dot” (such as .CN or .IN) has to remain in latin characters. Not so under the new ccTLD IDN structure.

So the question is, what has changed since the announcement? The answer is: nothing yet. ICANN’s announcement only opened the door for applications, and did not actually result in any new extensions being introduced to the domain name system just yet. Individual country representatives and ccTLD operators still have to apply for their IDN extensions, and systems will need to be adjusted (both by registrars and registries) to make the names available. As a registrar, we will start evaluating them as the ccTLDs we support start introducing them, but there are few time-lines available just yet. As we get more information, we’ll definitely be providing details.

In the meantime, ICANN has more information on the IDN fast track process for those looking to learn more.

I’m back from Seoul, which played host last week to ICANN’s 36th International Meeting. As far as ICANN meetings go, this one was extremely busy, well-attended and led to several significant decisions on a policy level.

The decision which garnered the most international attention was ICANN’s approval of a “fast track” process for certain Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs). This will allow certain ccTLDs to introduce internationalized versions of their extension in native language scripts. Historically, IDNs have only been available “before the dot”, while the actual extension had to remain in Latin characters. IDN ccTLDs, however, will allow the extension “after the dot” to be entered in native language scripts as well. With the approval of the fast track process, ICANN will now begin accepting IDN ccTLD applications. Stay tuned for more developments on this new process in the coming months.

For those interested in the approval of new Top Level Domain names, the Seoul conference had both positive and negative developments. On the plus side, coming away from the conference, it is very clear everyone is committed to new TLDs. However, it is also now clear that the original time-line, which would have seen the first applications submitted in the first quarter of 2010, is now obsolete. Instead, there are no longer any clear time-lines for the approval of new extensions. On a positive note, ICANN did approve a motion to explore allowing those interested in operating a new TLD to submit an “expression of interest”. These submissions would be accompanied by a deposit, and would theoretically allow ICANN to gauge how many serious bids currently exist and help them garner additional support.

The next ICANN conference takes place February 2010 in Nairobi, Kenya. By that time, we should have some additional clarity on just how long the new TLD process is going to take. But will we see dates and time-lines before then? If we do, you can be sure we’ll discuss them in this space.

Although ICANN’s 36th International Meeting here in Seoul has been underway for less than two days, it has already been quite eventful.

At Monday morning’s session on new gTLDs, a number of people voiced their frustration at a lack of definitive timeline around their launch (remember that applications were originally scheduled to be accepted in the early part of 2010, but it appears at this point that timeline is unlikely to be met). In the afternoon, representatives from Afilias, a registry services provider, and Demand Media, parent company of Enom, had a unique and spirited debate on the topic of Registry-Registrar separation. The session, held as a debate, addressed whether registrars involved in new TLD bids should be allowed to operate a registrar which sold the extension as well. An informal poll where participants were asked to shout their approval for one side over the other reflected the polarizing nature of the issue, as the room seemed split.

The final session I attended Monday was an open meeting of the Post-Expiration Domain Name Recovery Working Group (PEDNR-WG), which is examining topics related to the abilities of registrants to recover domain names post expiration. This group is still in its early stages, with further updates expected in the coming months.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend the workshop on Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs), another highly-anticipated discussion topic at the meeting. During that session, it was announced that the IDN application process was expected to begin November 16 (subject to ICANN Board approval). This will allow ccTLD operators to offer their extensions in native scripts should they choose to do so.

All three sessions I attended were standing-room only, as was the IDN session. It is clear that this conference is touching upon a lot of hot-button issues that are going to have a significant impact on the future of the Internet.

Today (Tuesday) is Constituency Day, where various supporting organizations of ICANN get together to discuss relevant issues for a full day. Tucows’ CEO Elliot Noss and I will sit in the meeting of the Registrar Constituency alongside many other ICANN-accredited registrars, where we will discuss a wide range of topics affecting registrars industry-wide.

Editor’s note: For those not in Seoul, ICANN offers remote participation via its website that allows you to attend the meetings virtually, complete with a video and audio stream plus a chat window.

Thanks to ICANN for the photos on their Flickr page and for releasing them under a Creative Commons License.

ICANN’s 36th International Meeting, to be held next week in Seoul, Korea, promises to be an eventful one for a number of reasons.

The meeting will be the first under Rod Beckstrom, ICANN’s new CEO. Beckstrom was confirmed as the CEO during the Sydney, Australia, meeting in June 2009, and has had a very busy few months since. Probably the most important development during his short tenure has been the Affirmation of Commitments announced in late September.

The Affirmation of Commitments is largely considered a very positive step in affirming ICANN as a global organization while solidifying its role in governing the Internet. For more insight into the impact of the Affirmation of Commitments, I highly recommend reading Tucows’ CEO Elliot Noss’ blog post on the topic.

gTLDs a “hot” topic

There will also be much discussion on the progress of new gTLDs at the conference. A few weeks ago, ICANN published a third version of the new gTLD Draft Applicant Guidebook (DAG), which outlines requirements and procedures for those interested in applying for a new domain extension (ICANN plans to accept proposals for a round of new extensions in 2010). Anticipated time lines for the introduction of new extensions and proposed measures to protect trademarks, two issues related to new gTLDs which have not yet been settled, will also be “hot” topics.

IDNs on the agenda

Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) will also be widely discussed. ICANN recently submitted a final proposal to “fast track” certain ccTLD extensions, and this proposal will be considered at the meeting by the ICANN board. If approved, the proposal will clear the way to introduce IDNs “after the dot” – that is, making domain extensions (and not just the name itself) available and operational in different language scripts.

I’ll provide some notes on the meeting once I’m on the ground in Seoul, as well as a wrap-up. Keep an eye on this space for updates.

Over the past couple of days a number of OpenSRS people have been attending the Regional Gathering of ICANN-Accredited Registrars gTLD Registries right here in Toronto, Canada.

For some of us, including myself, it’s a first direct exposure to the workings of ICANN. I’ve peeked in via the Internet during a couple of the big International Meetings over the past few years since joining Tucows, but this is my first time sitting in the room, with a ICANN logo on a badge around my neck.

Discussions have been quite lively at times, with good dialogue between ICANN staff, a number of Registry representatives and also with the various Registrars in attendance. Topics like the new Registrar Accreditation Agreement, data escrow, compliance and abuse have all fostered some healthy debate between interested parties. Of course, not everything is a debate – there’s also plenty of consensus on certain topics like protection of registrant rights and other issues.

What’s very interesting about these meetings is that it’s an opportunity to participate in or watch as Internet policy is developed and implemented. Adam Eisner, our Director of Domain Services, has been active in ICANN over the past few years, attending International Meetings all around the world. He pointed out last evening that being involved in ICANN means that you are a part of the decision making process that leads to changes that have a direct effect on the Internet and how it works.

Talk about pressure! ICANN and those involved in ICANN meetings, including Tucows/OpenSRS and everyone in attendance here today, hold the future of the Internet in their collective hands.

You’re probably aware that Tucows is quite active in ICANN and have been for many, many years. Our corporate values include the statement, “The Internet is the greatest agent for positive change the world has ever seen.” Because of this belief, we feel that it is our responsibility to work with ICANN and the other stakeholders (including the general public) to ensure that this incredible resource is properly nurtured.

ICANN can be a frustrating experience at times. But that is more a reflection of the understanding that those involved have around the task they have taken on. Everything that is done has to be considered carefully. “Trying things out” isn’t a good approach when dealing with a global network of such power and importance. “Done right the first time” is pretty much the only option for ICANN and those involved in decision making and implementation.

It’s been a humbling experience and a considerable privilege to be even a small part of it.

Tucows/OpenSRS CEO Elliot Noss has posted a passionate plea that ICANN choose its next CEO based on what he considers three very important criteria:

• a deep love and understanding of the Internet;
• the ability to “run a business” responsibly; and
• the ability to lead with vision.

We believe that choosing someone with these qualities will best reflect our Resellers’ interests. Read the full article and then let us know your thoughts.

Earlier this month I travelled to Cairo to attend ICANN’s 33rd international public meeting, which brought together Internet policy makers, registries and registrars to talk about key issues. More than 1,700 people from 144 countries attended the conference, which was significantly more than I was expecting, given the travel time for many attendees based in North America and Europe.

The talk of the conference was definitely new gTLDs. Many meetings, workshops and discussions were held on the topic, buoyed by the release of a draft applicant guidebook right before the meeting. The guidebook describes the proposed process for applying for and securing a new gTLD. The process is still up for review and input but expect developments on this front to come fast and furious in 2009.

Other issues discussed at length included “fast-tracking” a set of Internationalized Domain Names for ccTLDs, and DNS security. As usual, a day-long Registrar Constituency session touched on a variety of topics, ranging from recent policy developments involving the Constituency to a meeting with several ICANN staffers. I also spent a great deal of time meeting with registries, existing and potential vendors, and spending time with customers who made the trip as well.

To read more about ICANN’s Cairo meeting and for some on-site video, visit: http://cai.icann.org/en/video

ICANN’s 34th international public meeting will take place March 1-6 in Mexico City.

(image courtesy of icannphotos)

Next week in Cairo, ICANN will hold its 33rd international public meeting, which affords ICANN, registrars, registries and other related organizations an opportunity to get together and talk about important topics related to the Internet.
 
Some of the hot-button topics sure to be discussed at the conference, which runs from November 2-7:

• New TLDs: At June’s Paris meeting, ICANN approved new guidelines that effectively pave the way for the creation of up to thousands of new domain name extensions. Since then, ICANN has released some preliminary details on the application process, including proposed fees ($185,000), and procedures (no lobbying is allowed, for example). This is sure to be a topic talked about at length both in the hallways and during sessions.
• Consulting firm CRA International recently published a report of findings entitled “Revisiting Vertical Separation of Registries and Registrars”. This report is sure to gain the attention of registrars and registries, since it discusses the relationship between the two at length. As the roles of registrars and registries are considered in the upcoming round of new gTLDs, this is emerging as an important topic.
• DNSSEC: Short for Domain Name System Security Extensions, the adoption of DNSSEC will be a much-discussed topic, as DNS threats are becoming increasingly prevalent.

 
As usual, we’re headed there to meet with registries, suppliers, and customers, and to participate in meetings with supporting organizations like the Registrar Constituency, which is comprised of registrars from around the world. ICANN meetings are one of the key events where we are able to make our resellers’ voices heard around the world. If you plan to attend, please make sure to get in touch and say hello!

The 32nd International Public Meeting of ICANN has been taking place this week in Paris. As usual, Tucows was an active participant.

The big news out of Paris today was that ICANN approved new guidelines that effectively pave the way for the creation of hundreds, or even thousands of new domain extensions (the part after the ‘dot’). You can read more on the story here.

I gave Adam Eisner, Tucows’ Product Manager, Domains, a ring via Skype to get his take on the news. In addition to talking about the new domain name extensions, and how that whole process will work, Adam touched briefly on the issue of domain tasting and how ICANN is moving to reduce or eliminate the controversial practice.

Click the play button to have a listen:

ICANN’s 32nd Meeting wrapped up today. You can read the official news release here.

Next week, several of us will be in Paris for the 32nd Annual International Public ICANN meeting. As I’ve mentioned before, ICANN meetings afford us a unique opportunity to meet registries, vendors, customers and other registrars, all in one central location. A great deal of policy discussion also takes place, as does a meeting of the ICANN Registrar Constituency, of which Tucows is a member and is heavily involved.

Among the “hot-button” topics that are sure to be discussed in detail at the meeting:

• IPv6: As the number of available IP addresses under IPv4 continues to shrink, the importance of IPv6 adoption worldwide will continue to grow.
• New TLDs: Although details are still fuzzy, it is widely expected that a number of new TLDs will be introduced in the coming years. What types of TLDs are introduced and the process by which they are chosen will be discussed in detail at this meeting.
• Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs): IDNs allow international users to use web addresses in their native script, but adoption and standards thus far have been spotty and inconsistent. The need for greater adoption and standards will be discussed.
• The future of ICANN: ICANN’s role in the management of the domain name system is sure to be a major topic of discussion as its current agreement with the U.S. Department of Commerce nears its conclusion in 2009.

All signs point to the meeting being very well-attended, which will allow me to connect with even more partners, customers and vendors (particularly those based in Europe) than most conferences. In fact, my schedule from Monday through Friday is already booked solid with meetings, sessions and workshops—a telltale sign that I’m in for an extremely busy week!

You can visit the ICANN Paris Public Participation website for more information on the upcoming meeting. If you plan to be in Paris and would like to say hello, please be sure to let us know.