DotBrand Solutions launches in the Middle East and North Africa
Dubai firm eyes Doha as gTLD hubhttp://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/qatar/169549-dubai-firm-eyes-doha-as-gtld-hub.html
MENA companies interested in TLDshttp://www.itp.net/586490-mena-companies-interested-in-tlds Top-level domain name facilitation company, DotBrand Solutions MENA is talking to a total of approximately 60 companies in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and the UAE that are interested in going ahead with their own unique top-level domain names (TLDs), according to DotBrands. DotBrand Solutions MENA is a partnership between global domain name registry company CentralNic, and a consortium of Middle East businessmen including UAE-based Nabil Alyousuf. "Since we have launched DotBrand solutions MENA, we have seen a lot of interest from corporations mostly and some governments to register city names and also from some prominent families who want to protect their family name and preserve their heritage," says Alyousuf. Domain names can be applied for in any script, so companies in the region are able to register domain names in Arabic as well as English. Costs per application from submitting the paperwork to implementing the domain name are approximately $2 million, according to ICANN. Corporations and interested entities are already beginning work on the 300 page applications, due for submission between 12th January and 12th April 2012, which must contain a large amount of information about the companies and individuals applying for the TLD, including business plans and financial information. ICANN and DotBrands MENA are at GITEX TECHNOLOGY WEEK to raise awareness about TLDs, which is lacking in the region. "People are not that aware, the media has not picked up the subject, so what we find is that when we approach customers this is the first time they hear of it [TLDs], but then that turns into interest very quickly," comments Alyousuf. There are a lot of Middle East-based brands that are attempting to conquer the global market, and, according to Alyousuf, in order to protect the brand name they are interested in applying for a TLD. Also in the Arab world, internet and online marketing has become very important to companies. "The Arab world has the highest growth in terms of internet penetration and a Google statistic shows that online marketing had a growth of 40% year-on-year between 2009 and 2010. So online marketing has become very important to corporations," says Alyousuf. Local domain names to swellhttp://www.thenational.ae/business/technology/local-domain-names-to-swell Internet domain names in the region that now include .com and .ae are to increase from a few dozen to potentially thousands starting next year. But experts say Middle East businesses and government bodies have been slow to apply for names "right-of-the-dot". Such names can include words such as "info.dubai" or "restaurants.abudhabi". The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann), the non-profit organisation responsible for registering domain names, has set a deadline of January 12 for applications for the next batch of domain names. But the application process takes months, and the last window for submissions was six years ago. "My concern, when I come into a place like the Middle East, is how little they actually know about the programme. Some of the bigger brands need to really mobilise very quickly," said Adrian Kinderis, the chief executive of ARI Registry Services, a consultancy that helps businesses, government organisations and individuals register generic top-level domain names. It costs US$185,000 (Dh679,495) to apply and $25,000 annually to keep the name. Consultancies such as ARI Registry also charge further fees of up to $100,000 to help in applying for names. Mr Kinderis forecasts there will be 1,500 applications for domain names globally, with between 1,100 and 1,200 names being approved. Of those approved, he expects fewer than 5 per cent to be owned by businesses or governments in the Middle East. "We're really getting to the red zone now," said Mr Kinderis, referring to next year's early deadline. Nabil Alyousuf, the chairman of Aljal Capital, a company that works with CentralNic, based in London, to help companies in the UAE and Middle East to submit applications for domain names, agrees there is insufficient awareness in the region about the opportunity to buy website domain names. He says his company, working with CentralNic, has approached 60 organisations in the region to create more awareness. The two companies have not signed up any clients yet but say they have had discussions with governments and local businesses as well as with prominent families that want to preserve their family names. "We have a lot of corporations that are aspiring to be global brands," said Mr Alyousuf. "Online marketing has had a growth of 40 per cent year-on-year between 2009 and 2010 in the Middle East." Rod Beckstrom, the chief executive of Icann, is also trying to create more awareness in the Middle East about the biggest potential change for the regional internet in years. He was in Dubai at the Gitex expo yesterday to discuss the forthcoming expansion of domain names. "It's a good parallel to Dubai itself...Dubai came in as the first country in the Gulf to say, 'let's open up our economy, let's open up to trade, let's create some rules of law so that you can actually do commerce here'," he said. "That has led to tremendous economic growth, innovation, dynamism, employment and many other opportunities. We believe the same thing will happen by opening up right of the dot," he said. Brands can now secure top-level domains in Arabichttp://thenextweb.com/me/2011/09/21/brands-can-now-secure-top-level-domains-in-arabic/ In June, ICANN announced one of the biggest changes in domain name history - allowing users to create their own top-level domains (TLDs) – effectively turning their brand name into an integral part of their online address. What that means is that companies can start using sites that end in their own brand names like .Pepsi or .Canon, for example. That change is also coming to Arabic domains. DotBrands Solutions MENA has launched, giving Middle Eastern and Arabic speaking companies the opportunity to protect their trademarks in Arabic script. DotBrands Solutions MENA has entered into a partnership with CentralNic, a global TLD registry. Speaking about the latest developments, UAE based businessman Nabil Alyousuf, one of the businessmen involved in the new partnership, said “The introduction of dot-brand and Arabic top-level domains signals a new era of internet growth in the Middle East. The Middle East is one of the largest emerging markets in the world, and DotBrand Solutions MENA gives local businesses the opportunity to supply our markets with our own domain names, as well as putting local companies with international ambitions on the same level as their competitors from other regions.” More and more Middle Eastern users are going online, and are choosing Arabic as their language of choice. On Facebook, for example, Arabic has surpassed English as the region’s language of choice. And that isn’t the only reason Arabic domain names are a must-have in the region – from easier branding to improved SEO, Arabic domain names have been a welcome change. With this latest announcement, Middle Eastern companies can take their branding to a new level, staying in tune with their own localized flavour. Ben Crawford, CEO of CentralNic commented on the partnership saying, “Companies and their legal advisors in the Middle East have been contacting our London offices for months, wishing to protect their trademarks through .brand TLDs and to secure the most valuable real estate on the internet. Now we have a local presence with account executives on hand to assist companies throughout the GCC [Gulf Coordination Council] and North Africa. We acquire the TLDs for our clients, and equip them with intelligence on best practice and innovation in this new space, while also serving as a turnkey outsource solution to handle the technical execution.” DotBrand opens in UAEhttp://www.itp.net/586306-dotbrand-opens-in-uaeGlobal registration for top-level domain (TLD) names such as .apple or .nike, through domain administrator ICANN will be open between January and April 2012 and a new company has launched in the UAE to help companies in the region to gain their own TLDs. UAE-based DotBrands MENA,a company specialising in applying for top-level domain names, has launched in the UAE to help regional corporations register for their own top-level domain name. DotBrand works in collaboration with brand name registration company CentralNIC and a consortium of Middle East businessmen including UAE-based Nabil Alyousuf. Ben Crawford, CEO of CentralNIC and CEO of DotBrand Solutions said that the advantage of having a TLD for a corporation is that is unifies all of the company's internet domains under one single TLD, allowing companies to have complete control of their internet environment. "If for example, AXA insurance hires an agent here in Dubai, and the agent gets AXADubai.ae as a domain, if AXA then has a falling out with that agent and the agent starts working for a competitor, that agent still owns AXADubai.ae as the domain name, and can take all the traffic from he domain name and redirect it to their new site. That happens a lot. If AXA had their own domain and had .axa, they would give the agent dubai.axa and then if they had a falling out, could redirect all the traffic back to themselves and give it to someone else. They would not have to have notice periods or take the guy to court," said Crawford. A company-specific TLD strengthens brand identity and makes it easier for clients to discern real websites from spam, phishing or fake sites. The company specific TLD also means that the company will show up at the top of search results, and will be the genuine site, instead of the current situation where hundreds of sites, some of them malicious show up when users conduct a search. Domain names are not guaranteed and the application process is complex. Companies must first submit an application, which can be done through DotBrand. Crawford estimates that this application form will be over 200 pages long and companies must disclose information such as finances, outline the company's business plan and a contain a full policy document that is creative enough not to restrict future business. All members of the corporation applying for the top-level domain name must also not have any form of criminal record. "To put together the application, the number we tell companies to put in the budget is $200,000, to write the application or tender document which has business plans, policies, the technical specifications and so on. It is a 200-page document," said Crawford. Once the application document is finalised, companies must pay ICANN $180,000 to submit the application and have it audited by them. If the application is approved, ICANN then publishes the intention to register the top-level domain and allow a time-period for people to object to the registration. If anyone contests the TLD, arbitration and contestation then can cost the company up to $120,000. If everything is agreed, the company then signs a contract with ICANN and can begin to set up its TLD. Crawford estimates that set-up costs can reach $100,000 and once the TLD is running can cost up to $80,000 per year to maintain, if there are a couple of thousand web-domains running on the TLD, or it will cost more if there are tens of thousands of web-domains running. If there is an unsolvable dispute between companies over the same TLD, the domain name will go up for auction, although Crawford said he does not foresee this happening too much. DotBrand estimates that there are between 300 and 3,000 companies globally currently interested in applying for a TLD. The smallest company that has so far registered with CentralNIC is a company with revenues of $10m a year. Dubai eyes Generic top-level domain hubhttp://www.newzglobe.com/article/20111018/dubai-eyes-generic-top-level-domain-hub Dubai-based DotBrand Solutions Mena has eyed Doha as regional hub for the change to the Internet after the new generic Top Level Domains, gTLD, will be opened by Internet Corporation of ICANN from January 12 to April 12 next year. Qatar will play a leading role in the revolutionary change on the Internet when brand names of businesses, governments and communities around the world can turn into Internet domains starting next year. The gTLD is considered as the next big thing in the cyber world since Internet address extensions such as dotcom, dotnet or dotorg can be already changed into a desired name of brand or field of interests. Simply put, ICANN changed the rules that will now allow any word that follows the dot in the Internet address. Thousands of applicants will have to follow very extensive set of rules apart from costly evaluation fee estimated at $185,000 and annual membership fee of $25,000. Nabil Ali Alyousuf, owner and director of DotBrand Solutions Mena said his company is planning to make Doha a global hub for new TLDs, as the many world-class Qatari organisations take their place among the leading brands at the top level of the internet - both in English and in Arabic script.” DotBrand Solutions MENA has secured exclusive regional rights to the world's leading technologies and expertise on TLDs, from London-based global domain registry, CentralNic, and has negotiated substantial discounts for companies to obtain their domains in both Arabic script and English. New player in the Web name game
Companies set to enter web domain business
إطلاق حلول " DotBrand " لاسماء نطاقات الانترنت في الشرق الأوسطhttp://www.hitech4all.com/internet/news/11/september/21/4377
أطلقت شركة DotBrand حلولها في الشرق الأوسط لمساعدة الشركات العربية على النمو عبر شبكة الإنترنت من خلال حماية علاماتها التجارية في العصر الجديد من أسماء النطاقات ذات المستوى الأعلى (النطاقات العليا)، تسجيل نطاقات عليا خاصة بهذه الشركات لإستبدال النطاقات الحالية مثل .com، .net ورموز البلدان، بالإضافة إلى تأمين دور قيادي في تقديم النطاقات باللغة العربية. تمثل شركة DotBrand شراكة بين شركة CentralNic العالمية لتوفير نطاقات الإنترنت ومجموعة من رجال الأعمال في الشرق الأوسط بما فيهم السيد نبيل اليوسف والذي يتخذ من الإمارات العربية المتحدة مقراً له. DotBrand Solutions Launches in Qatar, Enabling Doha to Become a Leading Hub for Revolutionary Change in the Internet
http://www.al-watan.com/viewnews.aspx?n=87ED5C75-8D98-47C9-97C5-51CB1D82DD79&d=20111018 DotBrand Solutions launches in Qatar
http://www.ameinfo.com/278452.html DotBrand Solutions launches in Qatar
http://www.ameinfo.com/ar-214237.html DotBrand Solutions Launches in Qatarhttp://www.samenacouncil.org/samena_daily_news.php?news=22604
UAE: DotBrand Solutions MENA has launched today in Doha to enable Qatari companies and non-profit organizations to play a leading role in the changes to the internet resulting from the introduction of new Top Level Domains (TLDs). "In the future, as well as .com and .org, we will have .coke and .unicef," said Mr. Nabil Ali Alyousuf, an owner and director of DotBrand Solutions MENA. "And DotBrand Solutions MENA is planning to make Doha a global hub for new TLDs, as the many world-class Qatari organizations take their place among the leading brands at the top level of the internet - both in English and in Arabic script." "Thanks to the governing body, ICANN, the rules of the internet are changing. And with the support of DotBrand Solutions MENA, the Top Level of the internet will soon become attainable for Qatari and other Arabic organizations, positioning them on the same level as their competitors from other regions."commented Nabil Ali Alyousuf. " DotBrand Solutions MENA has secured exclusive regional rights to the world's leading technologies and expertise on TLDs, from London-based global domain registry, CentralNic, and has negotiated substantial discounts for companies to obtain their domains in both Arabic script and English. These services are combined with a team of local Account Executives led by former Toshiba MENA Head of Corporate Accounts, Mr. Mohammed Al Ammouri CentralNic CEO Ben Crawford, who has been featured as an authority on new TLDs from CNN, CNBC and Forbes through to the official ICANN website, said: "DotBrand Solutions MENA is providing the best service in the world, in Doha. We are excited to work alongside them to provide local and regional companies with the chance to become part of the next evolution of the internet." For media queries: DotBrand Solutions Launches in Qatar, Enabling Doha to Become a Leading Hub for Revolutionary Change in the Internet
إطلاق DotBrand في قطر بهدف تعزيز مكانة الدوحة كمركز رائد في عالم الإنترنتhttp://www.zawya.com/arabic/story.cfm/sidZAWYA20111018082149/
قطر، الدوحة - 18 أكتوبر 2011 - أطلقت اليوم شركة DotBrand الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا حلولها في قطر وذلك لمساعدة الشركات القطرية والمؤسسات الغير ربحية بلعب دور قيادي بالمرحلة القادمة من تطوير الإنترنت من خلال تقديم أسماء نطاق المستوى العالي الجديدة. وعلق السيد نبيل على اليوسف، الشريك والمدير لشركة حلول DotBrand الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا "في المستقبل القريب، سيصبح لدينا نقاطات جديدة مثل .coke و .unicef بالإضافة إلى .com و.org المتعارف عليهم. وشركة DotBrand تخطط لجعل الدوحة مركزاً عالمياً قيادياً لأسماء نطاق المستوى العالي الجديدة والسماح للشركات القطرية العالمية بتأمين مركزهم على قمة الإنترنت بكل من اللغتين العربية والإنجليزية. بفضل منظمة آيكان (ICANN)، فإن قوانين الإنترنت بدأت بالتغير. وبفضل الدعم التي ستقدمه حلول DotBrand الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا فإن نطاق المستوى العالي للإنترنت سيصبح متوافراً للمنظمات القطرية والعربية، مما سيضعها على نفس مستوى منافسيهم في مناطق أخرى حول العالم." لقد نجحت DotBrand الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا بالحصول على الحقوق الحصرية في المنطقة لشركة CentralNic والتي يقع مقرها في لندن وتعتبر إحدى أكثر الشركات ريادة وخبرة في مجال النطاقات العليا وتسجيل أسماء النطاقات. كما قامت الشركة بالتفاوض على خصومات كبيرة للشركات للحصول على النطاقات العليا الجديدة باللغة العربية والانجليزية، حيث سيتم تقديم هذه الخدمات من خلال فريق من المديرين التنفيذيين بقيادة السيد محمد العموري، الرئيس السابق لأعمال الشركات في توشيبا الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا. وأضاف الرئيس التنفيذي لشركةCentralNic بن كراوفورد والذي برز كأحد قياديي أسماء نطاق المستوى العالي الجديدة على كل من CNN و CNBC وفوربس وصولا إلى موقع ICANN "إن حلول DotBrand الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا تقدم أفضل خدمة في العالم من الدوحة. نحن سعيدون بالعمل جنباً إلى جنب معهم لنوفر للشركات العربية المحلية والعالمية فرصة لعب دور قيادي بالمرحلة القادمة من تطور الإنترنت." للمزيد من المعلومات والإستفسارات الصحفية: DotBrand Solutions launches in the Middle East
http://www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidZAWYA20110921110244/DotBrand_Solutions_launches_in_the_Middle_East DotBrand Solutions launches in the Middle East
http://www.ameinfo.com/275590.html New TLD name firm launches in ME
http://www.tradearabia.com/news/IT_205242.html DotBrand Solutions launches in the Middle East
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get the .brand buzz...Etisalat secures top-level domain - TradeArabia.com CentralNic Powers First New Top-Level Domains Announced by ICANN - CircleId.com  Expert view: Gavin Brown - dotnxt.com  New domain names to break grip of tech giants  
The End of the Dot-Com Era? - cnbc.com  Dot-anything Web domain costs big .$$$ - cnn.com  ICANN's Domain Expansion: Why .Metallica Makes Sense - blog.forbes.com  Your .brand gTLD: hopeful registry partners go into marketing overdrive - worldtrademarkreview.com  How companies are coping with gTLD applications - managingip.com  DotBrand Solutions launches in the Middle East
DotBrand Solutions in Germany 
How ICANN's Approval of New Domains Will Change the Web - mashable.com  Analysis: New Internet rules will spawn battle for "dots" - reuters.com  
Forget .com, here's .coke - money.cnn.com  Experts clash on benefits of owning and managing .brand domains - v3.co.uk  Site Name Broker Preparing for Suffix Explosion  Hundreds of dot-brand domains predicted - theregister.com  New '.music' web domain worries recording industry - politico.com  Marketers debate usefulness of ICANN's new domain names - btobonline.com  Drinks firms could profit from internet expansion - just-drinks.com  ICANN Approves Custom Generic Top Level Domains - eweek.com  ICANN approves top level domain name changes - upi.com  ICANN Approves Generic Top Level Domains - enterprisenetworkingplanet.com  Here come the domains - bizmology.com  Goodbye .Com, Hello .Anything - portfolio.com  ICANN Vanity Domains: A Caution for Midmarket Firms - internetevolution.com  Top-Level Domains Will Help Web Growth & Reach - yousaytoo.com  .Branding: It's the End of the .com World as We Know It - brandchannel.com  Dot-Brand: Get those applications ready - mediapost.com  Money Radio 1510 Interviews Ben Crawford - New gTLDs: A New Era for Brands on the Internet  Are You Ready for .anything? Generic Internet Domains on the Way - pcmag.com  Ben Crawford: Why Trademark Owners Are Acquiring Their .Brand TLDs "Defensively" - blog.ud.com  A New Era for Internet Domains: Why .XXX Is Just the Beginning - mashable.com Squawk On The Street: Has The Internet Out Grown .Com? - thedomains.com  The Big Bang in Domain Names Is Coming - The CMO Site  Here Come the .Brand Top Level Domain Names - Domain Name Wire  Introducing dot Brand Solutions - Launching Brands into a New Digital Landscape Please direct PR enquiries to our London Headquarters on +44 20 33 88 0600 or via email at info@dotbrandsolutions.com |
pictured: Nabil Al Yousuf, DotBrand Solutions' MENA Local Partner, and Ben Crawford, CEO CentralNic and DotBrand Solutions
