November 15, 2004 -- (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) -- The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (icann.org) is expected to formally request proposals for the management of the .net domain framework Friday. Currently overseen by VeriSign Inc., which also controls the .com framework, the contract for .net management will expire on June 30 and several companies are rushing to compete for future contracts.
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"Thirty-seven of the top 100 Web sites rely on .net, and about 37 percent of all e-commerce relies on .net to get to its destination," says Tom Galvin, VP of government relations for VeriSign. "It's vitally important that a year from now .net runs at least as well as, or better than, it's running now."
Galvin says that the .net TLD is flooded with an estimated 150 billion emails every day. Expected VeriSign competitors for the .net contract include German-based Deutches Network Information Center, which currently maintains the registry for the .de domain; NeuLevel Inc., which manages the .biz registry; and Afilias Ltd., which handles the .info and .org registries.
Although ICANN has not yet released its formal request for proposals, it requested a consensus resolution last Wednesday on the .net framework from its Generic Names Supporting Organization. The GNSO report mentioned such requirements as the .net domains remaining un-sponsored and unrestricted, as well as a variety of technical and stability-related requirements. VeriSign will also submit a bid for the new contract, but some analysts feel that the company's shaky relationship with ICANN over the past two years may hinder their chances.
