Simplified Names Deliver Greater Ease of Use to Professionals

August 2004

Qualified professionals and their organizations may now register "second-level" .Pro Internet domain names that provide simpler, more direct Internet addresses for doctors, lawyers and accountants. RegistryPro, the .Pro registry operator, today said it has received approval of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to begin offering second-level .Pro domain names immediately.

The newly available second-level domain names enable professionals to use the simple "johndoe.pro" domain name format. When the .Pro Top-Level Domain (TLD) launched earlier this year, registrants could only sign up for so-called "third-level" domain names -- for example, johnsmith.law.pro for lawyers, johndoe.med.pro for doctors or johnjones.cpa.pro for public accountants. "Availability of second-level domain names increases the demand for .Pro names," said Michael Delciello, general manager of RegistryPro. "This simplified naming format helps professionals market their .Pro domains, and makes it easier for their clients, patients and other Internet users to find and use the .Pro Web sites."

An organization providing multiple professional services and meeting two or more eligibility requirements may claim a second-level .Pro name that resolves directly to its Web site and email system. Organizations who only qualify for a single third-level domain name may register second-level names that automatically redirect online traffic to Web sites or email systems using their third-level names. In either case, the second-level name provides an easier online path to the desired destination.