Channel awaits domain name vote

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann), the Internet regulatory service, is set to shake up the world of domain names this week if a crucial vote in Paris goes its way, and there could be both pros and cons for the channel.

Icann hopes to open up the domain names system, relaxing rules on top-level domain names such as .org or .net. This may open the way for branded web addresses or domains based on surnames and will revive the controversy over the use of .xxx for adult content.

Peter Gradwell, CEO at business ISP Gradwell.com explained: “The proposal means that instead of gradwell.com I could just register .gradwell. It would cost me several thousand pounds … but everyone who is a big corporate and owns a dot com domain will just move up a level.”

He agreed that resellers able to fork out enough money for a new personalised domain name could gain an advantage over smaller outfits that did not have the time or the funding to do the same.

Brighter Connections managing director Darren Stringer argued that for many small resellers, customers tended to come through local word of mouth as opposed to over the web, meaning having a big web presence was often not considered very important.

“If your website is a shop window it will be another expense and more aggravation for you,” he said, “but it might be that it creates an opportunity to further differentiate the business.”