Global Domains: A Good Place to Demonstrate IT Leadership
CIOs need to forever be on the lookout for critical developments in the world of technology that could potentially be of great interest to their business colleagues. Well, just in case you missed the announcement this week from ICANN (the group responsible for registering Internet domain names) here’s a quick catchup and a reminder of why this issue is so important for you as an IT leader.
First, the basics
ICANN has embarked on a program to allow for registration of new gTLDs, i.e., “global top level domains.” gLTDs are the suffixes at the end of a URL, such as .com, .net, .org and so on. What that means is that a company like IBM, or GE will now be able to apply and receive the gLTD, .ibm or ge. In fact, it has already been reported that Canon, Hitachi and UNICEF are planning to apply for their respective brand gTLDs.
Second, the opportunity
At first pass this seems like a whole new internet gold rush is on its way. Having learned from the domain naming wars of the early internet years, companies are likely to want to make sure they own the gLTDs most likely to be associated with them lest they fall into the hands of their competitors or greedy internet name prospectors. But of course, it’s not so simple.
Third, the challenge
Registering a gLTD is not a process to be entered into lightly. At $185,000 for an application, one proposed gTLD per application, a 352-page draft guidebook describing the application process, a limited time to apply, and an evaluation process that is estimated will take 9-18 months, it is a costly and complicated endeavor. (These critical details are what the marketers in your company are likely to have missed when they heard about this great new opportunity from their agency.)
So what do you do
The decision with regard to this question is clearly not in the hands of the CIO alone. However, every CIO should be aware of the new development and should bring it to the attention of the CEO, the senior marketing executive, and legal. The new gTLDs originates in the world of IT, and the head of IT is best positioned to bring the message to the rest of the organization. But the real value here is not to necessarily advocate for a gLTD but rather to be the one who brings the strategic issue to the table and helps facilitate the discussion. It is an opportunity for the CIO to demonstrate value and drive an important conversation with other senior managers.
Keep in mind that the CIO’s job is not done when he makes the interested parties aware of the new opportunity. The situation is still too fluid. For example, ICANN is talking about allowing others to comment and prevent trademark infringement via a gLTD registration and the dates when applications will be accepted are still not final. By tracking the ongoing developments of this issue and keeping your peers aware of the important ones you continue to demonstrate value and relevance to your peers.
After all, who on the top management team can better keep up with electronic updates than the CIO?
PS – To save you some time, you can find all the official info here: http://www.icann.org/en/topics/new-gtld-program.htm
