.OM Registry Contract Awarded
Posted: October 6th, 2008, by Adam StrongQinetics, a registry solution provider in Malaysia, announced on Sunday that they have been awarded the contract to manage the .OM ccTLD for the country of Oman. The entire company press release can be read at the end of the post.
The ccTLD .OM is one of three highly desirable ccTLDs because of the typo traffic that spills over to these extension by way of internet users leaving off a letter when typing the popular GTLD .COM. The traffic that would come to any domain with this extension by mistake could be sent to a search engine landing page. For example, say a registrant were to purchase the domain name Facebook.om. From the sheer volume of traffic that Facebook.com receives, it is natural that thousands of users will leave off the “C” in .com every day and it can be assumed many of those users will click or search on whatever page they land on.
Other ccTLDs that benefit from this .COM typo leak include .CO and .CM. Columbia controls the .CO extension and does not currently have .CO domain names wild-carding. The second extension is .CM which is the ccTLD for the country of Cameroon. The success behind the wild-carding of that countries traffic was talked about in a Business2.0 article about Kevin Ham. Ham stated that the traffic through that channel was “in the ballpark” of 8 million unique visitors per month.
Since that article, many of the most popular .CM domain names have apparently switched ownership or have been diverted from the original Agoga.com lander. Domains such as facebook.cm and yahoo.cm go to a viralvideos.org lander. CNN.cm or ABC.cm goes to a domainsponsor lander and Google.cm goes to an Eharmony landing page. It can be assumed that these other players jumped in after reading the story. As John Berryhill put it, “As soon as it started happening, there was a huge sense of ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’”
It isn’t clear from this announcement wether the operators of the .OM registry will open up registrations to non-residents, auction domain names, or even operate a wild-carding similar to the .CM registry operations. What is clear is that this registry operation will have a host of people knocking on their door soon including many attornies.
Good luck Qinetics. Good luck domainers.
PRESS RELEASE
KUALA LUMPUR**, Malaysia, October 6th, 2008* — Qinetics Solutions Berhad (Qinetics), a leading Registry system provider, announced today that it has been awarded the tender by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of Oman to provide consultancy services to develop the domain name policy framework for Oman.
Each country or autonomous territory has a 2-letter country code that represents its “Top Level Domain (TLD)” under which Internet domain names can be assigned. For Oman, the country code is ‘.om’.
TRA, the body in Oman that regulates the telecommunication sector of the Sultanate of Oman is in the process of taking over the function of managing the ‘.om’ TLD from the current incumbent ‘.om’ manager Omantel.
“TRA is committed to implement a fair, efficient and effective world-class framework for the ‘.om’ TLD. A consultancy is thus requested to review the domain name environment for the ‘.om’ TLD taking into account the local and cultural values of the country.” said Eng. Naashiah S. Al-Kharusi, TRA Board Member.
“TRA decided to award the tender to Qinetics who shall draft the necessary regulations and policy framework documents as required for implementation of a professional .om TLD administration.”
The tender require Qinetics to provide a comprehensive consultancy service spanning areas of Administrative Policy Framework, Domain Name Policy Framework and Industry Model Framework.
Among other things, Qinetics will advise TRA on the setup of the entity to manage ‘.om’, registrar accreditation framework and domain name policies such as domain name eligibility and allocation policy, WHOIS policy, reserved names policy, complaints policy, domain life cycle policy and domain name dispute resolution policy.
“We are indeed honored to be selected by TRA for this consultancy. Our dedicated consultants within the RegistryASP team have years of practical experiences running ccTLD registry operations, registry systems and also registrar systems so we are intimately familiar with all aspects of domain name business. We are confident that we will be able to provide sound advices to TRA on the best domain name management framework for Oman,“ said TK Tan, CEO of Qinetics.
About TRA, Oman
The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) was established in 2002, to liberalize and promote the telecommunications services in the Sultanate of Oman under the Telecommunications Act which was issued under the Royal Decree No. 30/2002. TRA is committed to develop the telecommunications sector in the Sultanate by regulating and maintaining the telecom services, promoting the interest of telecommunications services providers and beneficiaries, and ensuring that consumers receive world class standard quality telecommunications services, with range of choices within reasonable limits at affordable prices. * *The Authority’s policies and regulations is aimed at the development of infrastructure and the attraction of foreign investment into the sector to further promote the Sultanate’s economy and increasing employment prospects for Omani citizens. Website: http://www.tra.gov.om
About Qinetics Solutions Berhad
Qinetics, a regional company headquartered in Malaysia, focuses on Registry and Registrar service, consultancy and solution, software development and IT services. Qinetics is a MSC (Multimedia Super Corridor) pioneer-status company in Malaysia for its merits in R&D. Qinetics’ subsidiary, Web Commerce Communications Limited (WEBCC – www.webnic.cc) is the largest ICANN Accredited Registrar in South East Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan (source: Frost & Sullivan), serving over 400,000 domain names in over 40 domain name extensions. Qinetics has over 5 years of experience in the development of RegistryASP SRS (www.registryASP.com) – its flagship Shared Registry-Registrar System (SRS) solutions that powers country code Top Level Domains (ccTLDs) such as .hk (Hong Kong), .sg (Singapore), .cd (Democratic Republic of Congo), .my (Malaysia) and .gw (Guinea Bissau). Website: http://www.qinetics.net
(c) 2008 DomainNameNews.com
Domain Convergence, October 6-8, 2008, Niagara Falls
Ask.Com Upgrade to Add Improved Relevance, Speed
Posted: October 5th, 2008, by CIO.com - Network
Ask.com plans to upgrade its search engine on Monday with several enhancements that it considers significant and that it believes could give its popularity a boost in a market dominated by Google.
VMware security updates for ESX, VirtualCenter, and other products
Posted: October 5th, 2008, by David Marshall
VMware has addressed a number of security problems with its latest set of patches and updates. With VirtualCenter Update 3 and a number of other updates to different VMware products, the company addresses a host of security issues such as privilege escalation, HA problems, and other vulnerabilities. READ MORE
Time for Self Reflection
Posted: October 5th, 2008, by Jeffrey CronstromVerisign Acquires .Name TLD
Posted: October 4th, 2008, by Chad KettnerVerisign has closed a deal to acquire Global Name Registry, the London-based company that runs the .name registry. This move adds to Verisign’s control over the domain industry, as the company already operates the registry for the .com, .net, .cc, and .tv domains while also running the DNS servers for .edu and .jobs.
Although the deal isn’t official, Verisign announced the move in an email to registrars. This email was obtained and posted on TechCrunch by Michael Arrington:
We are pleased to announce that VeriSign closed on an agreement to acquire Global Name Registry, Ltd., which includes management of the .name top level domain on October 1, 2008. We believe the addition of .name is a natural fit, as we have run the technical backend in support of .name for more than five years.
What does this mean for existing registrars?
Your interface to VeriSign for .name domain names will continue to operate as it has in the past with no changes.
We are currently assessing enhancements to the service offering that meet the needs of the registrar channel in servicing the consumer market. Please look for service notices in the coming weeks that will outline those changes and the steps you need to take advantage of those features.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Customer Service at info@verisign-grs.com.
Very truly yours,
PJ Bolanos
Vice President, Global Customer Support
VeriSign, Inc.
Northzone Ventures and Verdane Capital also invested in the company, although the details of the transaction are not expected to be released.
[via TechCrunch]
(c) 2008 DomainNameNews.com
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Hitfarm Prepares to Launch Parking Indices and Hitfarm 2.0
Posted: October 4th, 2008, by Chad Kettner
Hitfarm, a company specializing in domain parking, is releasing two major domain market indices - the Reinvent Index (RVT-200) and the Hitfarm Composite Index (HCI) - so domainers can increase the performance of their parked domains. DNN will be featuring the indices on the homepage in the coming months.
The Reinvent Index tracks the results of over 200 privately held domains owned by Reinvent Technology. Measuring the performance of these domains will allow domainers to have a benchmark to understand the ups and downs of the parking industry while comparing various categories of domain names. The complete index, which will be available to all domainers, is listed at the bottom of this post.
The Hitfarm Composite Index is a broad-base index which will represent the performance of all domains managed by Hitfarm. For confidentiality reasons, the details of each individual domain, total unique visitors, and total revenues will be hidden. However, measured trends will be demonstrated through a percentage change metric, allowing domainers to compare their portfolio’s performance to the general market trends. This index will be available to all Hitfarm clients.
“With everything our clients have been asking for to increase their revenue and enhance their experience with Hitfarm, we have either addressed it already or we’re currently working on a solution,” Don Ham of Reinvent Technology explained in an email with DNN. “With parking revenues decreasing we realize it is more important than ever before for domain owners to find a solution that maximizes their revenue…
…We have some of the best portfolios parked with us for one reason - we deliver. We are setting the trend with the Indexes, as well as with the new Hitfarm 2.0 that we’re working on which will allow our clients to have access to many features that our account managers use to personally manage an exclusive account. If our clients want to manage their own accounts, then we want to offer them the best tools to do this.
These indices are a bold step in the right direction for domain parking. Domainers have never before been able to track the many factors affecting their domain names including seasonal trends, technology issues, or general market swings. Both indices will act like any stock market index to help domainers determine whether the changes in their parking performance are consistent with the overall market conditions or if there are other factors playing a role.
Hitfarm was previously only available to owners of large domain portfolios with pay-per-click earnings in excess of $10,000 per month and with portfolios containing only mainstream generic domains. According to their website Hitfarm does not support adult, gambling, controversial, trademark or arbitraged traffic. With the release of the forthcoming Hitfarm 2.0, the company now seems to have lifted the earnings cap and are interested in working with domainers of all sizes who have quality generic domain traffic. “The best just got better - because we are going to open up Hitfarm for any domainer that has good traffic.” stated Ham.
In addition, Hitfarm 2.0 provides more features for domainers interested in engaging in an exclusive contract. The exclusivity requires a minimum year long commitment with each client receiving a dedicated account representatives who provides monthly reporting and feedback on improving domain portfolio performance catered specifically to the domain owner. The exclusive contracts also provide domain owners another level of transparency not seen previously. All exclusive contracts will provide an option to audit all payments from Hitfarm.
Ham explained, “Hitfarm contracted a certified accounting firm who specializes in audits and had them create a platform whereby any certified accounting firm can come in and do an audit to confirm Hitfarm revenue payments to Hitfarm clients. Hitfarm itself is audited by PWC annually but the audit conducted by our clients will leave no room for doubt that we are honoring our agreement with our valued clients.”
This type of benchmarking and transparency should be a welcome addition to domain owners and help to improve accountability in domain parking. We look forward to more companies pushing forward with creative ideas to improve performance and open up transparency like Hitfarm has done here.
[More info available at Hitfarm]
| Reinvent Index | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Automotive | Business | Careers & Jobs | |
| discountauto.com | franchises.com | jobseekers.com | |
| cheaptires.com | grant.com | entertainmentcareers.com | |
| part.com | governmentmoney.com | healthcareers.com | |
| tirediscount.com | attorney.com | salarys.com | |
| carshows.com | goldmarket.com | medicalstaffingnetwork.com | |
| mufflers.com | freegrantmoney.com | outsource.com | |
| carseats.com | inflation.com | seekjob.com | |
| classicauto.com | commercials.com | dreamjobs.com | |
| carresearch.com | investmart.com | nursefinder.com | |
| minivan.com | freepatent.com | partimejobs.com | |
| 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| Education | Electronics | Fashion | |
| boardingschool.com | hdtv.com | hairstyles.com | |
| mathanswers.com | laptop.com | haircuts.com | |
| freescholarship.com | notebook.com | weddinggowns.com | |
| schoolgrants.com | routeplanner.com | bridaldresses.com | |
| mathgamesforkids.com | slideshows.com | weddingthemes.com | |
| schoolratings.com | digitalcamera.com | stylish.com | |
| elementaryschool.com | lcd.com | dressingup.com | |
| etextbook.com | mytones.com | styleforless.com | |
| departmentofeducation.com | freeprint.com | beautysecrets.com | |
| publicschools.com | cellularphones.com | interiordesigns.com | |
| 7 | 8 | 9 | |
| Finance | Games | Geo | |
| creditreports.com | ninjagames.com | melbourne.com | |
| onlinebanking.com | coolmathgames.com | brisbane.com | |
| moneyfacts.com | fashiongames.com | wichita.com | |
| commmerceonline.com | dragonwars.com | perth.com | |
| unclaimedfunds.com | playgame.com | waterloo.com | |
| personalfinance.com | babyshowergames.com | brownsville.com | |
| CarFinancing.com | petgames.com | stateoflouisiana.com | |
| universalcardservices.com | freecargames.com | nyc.org | |
| creditrating.com | cheapgames.com | ny.org | |
| consolidate.com | arcades.com | nystate.org | |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | |
| Health | Internet | Lifestyle | |
| medmd.com | freehost.com | camp.com | |
| lupus.com | internetstats.com | pottery.com | |
| musclefitness.com | mycodes.com | hotsprings.com | |
| menopause.com | skins.com | commondreams.com | |
| diseases.com | gameswallpaper.com | freephoto.com | |
| naturalremedies.com | fileupload.com | childrenandfamily.com | |
| infertility.com | videostream.com | memorial.com | |
| highbloodpressure.com | internetdownloadmanger.com | classreunion.com | |
| medicalhealth.com | webpagemaker.com | lightcooking.com | |
| humanhealth.com | onlinefilms.com | parentonline.com | |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | |
| Movies, Entertainment | Music | News | |
| watchmoviesonline.com | musicdownload.com | dateandtime.com | |
| tvsitcoms.com | mp3code.com | newsandweather.com | |
| freevideo.com | elyrics.com | financenews.com | |
| onlinefreemovies.com | beat.com | rapnews.com | |
| superhero.com | rhyme.com | canadanews.com | |
| soapopera.com | downloadsongs.com | internationalnews.com | |
| eticket.com | freemusicvideos.com | Worldnewspaper.com | |
| filmrating.com | playmusicfree.com | christiannews.com | |
| actor.com | downloadringtones.com | Retailnews.com | |
| moviesearch.com | ringtonesfree.com | hockeynews.com | |
| 16 | 17 | 18 | |
| Personals | Shopping | Sports | |
| greeting.com | onlinesales.com | sportinggoods.com | |
| lovedoctor.com | dealcoupons.com | cycle.com | |
| classmatesonline.com | couponsaver.com | usaswimming.com | |
| classmatefinder.com | vouchers.com | hockeyshop.com | |
| englishchat.com | shoptillyoudrop.com | cricketlivescore.com | |
| netdate.com | bargainland.com | footballplays.com | |
| datingsingle.com | mattressdiscounter.com | usagymnastics.com | |
| intimatedating.com | cheapestbook.com | tennisresults.com | |
| singleladies.com | babygifts.com | totalsoccer.com | |
| singlechristiannetwork.com | bigdiscounts.com | westindiescricket.com | |
| 19 | 20 | ||
| Technology | Travel | ||
| ittech.com | cheaptravel.com | ||
| driver.com | bestflights.com | ||
| fileshare.com | globalvacations.com | ||
| filesend.com | travelshop.com | ||
| pcdownload.com | hoteldeals.com | ||
| techtool.com | smarttours.com | ||
| careertech.com | carrent.com | ||
| fulldownloads.com | lastminuterooms.com | ||
| innovations.com | discountcruise.com | ||
| speedupmypc.com | travelplanner.com | ||
(c) 2008 DomainNameNews.com
Domain Convergence, October 6-8, 2008, Niagara Falls
Citrix and VMware going to the cloud
Posted: October 3rd, 2008, by David Marshall
Just before VMworld, Citrix announced the launch of XenServer 5.0, its latest platform, and yes, they too have mentioned the cloud. And during VMworld, VMware also had a number of press announcements, one of which was the notion of the Virtual Datacenter OS and how they too are going to the cloud. LISTEN!... READ MORE