Domain Name News
Domain names competition opens with a twist
10.12.2002
The registration of internet
domain names has opened up to competition, with
a twist.Â
The previous monopoly supplier, Domainz, will
operate as a special "stabilising registrar", to
help the changeover rather than compete on
price.Â
On Saturday domain name sellers Webaddress,
Iserve and Iconz connected to a new shared
registry system, and the Herald understands at
least 20 others will join over the next three
months.Â
The Internet Society of New Zealand (InternetNZ),
which owns Domainz, would like some but not all
Domainz customers to shift to these other
incoming registrars.Â
Society secretary David Farrar said in March
that a letter would go out to any Domainz
customers who had remained by default with
Domainz, asking them which of the registrars
they wanted to be with.Â
InternetNZ intends to sell Domainz to avoid a
conflict of interest, as it owns the firm that
runs the registry system as well. Its
stabilising registrar agreement with Domainz
ends in September next year.Â
In October and November Domainz increased its
wholesale price for domain names to A-level
providers from $22.50 a year to $27, and this
will go up to $39.38 in February. This attracted
some criticism.
Details at:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3008592&thesection=technology&thesubsection=general
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