Excerpt: # GNR is billing ".name" as more than a Web address. Along with # technology partners such as New York-based Speednames Inc. and # International Business Machines Corp., the U.K. company hopes # to transform .name addresses into a multipurpose "digital # identity" that can also serve as an e-mail address, cellphone # number and even an electronic credit card. # # Instead of typing in a credit card number, customers could simply # provide their ".name" address, and merchants would then be able # to retrieve the financial information from a secure server hosted # by a bank or other "trusted" institution, the company says. ---- http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB991855694886302396.htm # # June 7, 2001 # # Global Name Registry Hopes To Score Big With '.Name' # # By BUSTER KANTROW Dow Jones Newswires # # STOCKHOLM -- What's in a .name? # # For Britain's Global Name Registry Ltd., the hope is, a lot. # The London-based start-up is the global administrator for ".name," # one of the new top-level Internet domain names to be introduced # this year. # # As the gatekeeper for the entire domain, GNR will begin # distributing ".name" addresses this autumn, collecting a $5.25 # (6.16 euros) wholesale registration fee and a similar annual # renewal fee for each one it hands out. # # The company also plans to provide more than just a name. It hopes # to transform the .name addresses into a multipurpose tool that # can receive e-mail or serve as a virtual credit card. # # It's a formula that could pay off in millions or even billions # of dollars in annual revenue, if demand for ".name" Internet # suffixes takes off. # # "People have an emotional affinity for their names," said GNR's # chief executive, Andrew Tsai, in a recent interview. "Clearly, # Icann picked a space where they thought millions and millions # of people wanted addresses." # # New Competition Ahead # # Originally a spinoff of Norway's Nameplanet.com, which operates # a free Web-based, e-mail service, GNR beat dozens of other # applicants to the Internet Corp. for Assigned Names and Numbers, # or Icann, the U.S.-based agency that manages the Internet-address # system. The would-be registries included such familiar names # as Finland's Nokia Corp. and Lycos Inc. # # The new top-level domains -- which include ".biz," ".info" and # ".museum" -- are intended to create new competition in the # domain-name space, which has been dominated by California-based # VeriSign Inc., central administrator of the ubiquitous ".com" # suffix. # # VeriSign's control of the ".com" suffix was recently extended # by Icann, despite criticism from the Internet community, where # there has been some resentment of the company's monopoly position. # VeriSign has agreed to relinquish control of the ".org" and ".net" # suffixes. # # Mr. Tsai, formerly president of Urbanfetch Ltd., said he thought # the initial demand for the new domains would be strongest in # North America. But he said registrars, who act as middlemen # between the U.K. company and individual customers, are also # reporting strong interest in the ".name" domain from China, Korea # and other parts of Southeast Asia. # # "The opportunities are mind-boggling, but this is a very, very # challenging discipline, to set up a registry," he said. "We # consider ourselves a technology infrastructure company, and we # don't take for granted the challenges of implementing this # business plan." # # GNR's backers include Carlyle Europe Venture Partners LP, # Northzone Ventures AS and Four Seasons Venture AS. # # With the lucrative ".name" registry in hand, it is Nameplanet # that is now the subsidiary of GNR. "The student has become the # teacher," says Mr. Tsai. # # GNR is billing ".name" as more than a Web address. Along with # technology partners such as New York-based Speednames Inc. and # International Business Machines Corp., the U.K. company hopes # to transform .name addresses into a multipurpose "digital # identity" that can also serve as an e-mail address, cellphone # number and even an electronic credit card. # # Instead of typing in a credit card number, customers could simply # provide their ".name" address, and merchants would then be able # to retrieve the financial information from a secure server hosted # by a bank or other "trusted" institution, the company says. # # Such value-added services are expected to provide an additional # revenue stream for GNR, as well as for the registrars. # # "There is no other domain out there currently that has any # functionality," says Mr. Tsai. # # GNR moved a step closer to launching the new addresses over the # weekend here, as Icann set a deadline of June 30 for giving final, # formal approval to the new domain. # # Manifest Destiny # # Once the approval is secured, GNR will begin handing out names # to around 80 registrars around the world, who will sell them # to individuals, Mr. Tsai said. # # The addresses will be registered with two dots (i.e., # joseph.smith.name) in order to maximize the potential # combinations, and will be introduced in phases. # # The new addresses are reserved for individuals. But companies # and others will first have an opportunity to ask that addresses # related to their trademarks be removed from the database. # # GNR will then launch a series of two-week "land rushes" when # registrars may submit lists of requested addresses. If two # individuals request the same address, one of the two will be # randomly chosen, Mr. Tsai said. # # The first names should be available to individuals by early # autumn, the company said. # # GNR says there will be five to 10 land rushes, then names will # be handed out as requested. Registrars are expected to sell the # addresses for $20 to $35 annually -- roughly what a ".com" address # costs now, Mr. Tsai said.