Batching
Batching, a term that became especially popular during ICANN 42 in Dakar,[1] refers to the process of dividing applications for the new gTLD program into batches. Given that ICANN expected to receive over 1,000 applications, and that they knew their staff could not process over 500 applications at a time, the Board decided that it would be necessary to create separate batches to process the applications. This immediately worried potential applicants, as it was unclear whether a lottery or a system that would reward early application would be implemented. Kurt Pritz, ICANN senior vice president of stakeholder relations clarified during the GNSO special session in Dakar that there is no advantage for early or later applications. He pointed out that all applications submitted within the deadline will have equal chances to be included in any batch.[2]
In December, 2011, just weeks before the window opened, the Board held a special meeting, where they further discussed the batching process. It was made clear that a lottery would not be used, nor would an application submitted earlier than another has an advantage. The members of the ICANN Board delegated the responsibility to the ICANN president and CEO to develop a plan for a "secondary time stamp," which will be used to determine the processing order in case multiple batches of applications need to be processed. Still, the system was not defined and it was clear that they would continue to formulate this process as they received applications and progressed towards the April, 2012 deadline. The Board decided that all global regions would be fairly represented in each batch, and that there would be an opt-out mechanism for non-priority applications. [3]
The Board also decided that once the final plan of the secondary time stamp batching process is completed, it will present it to the community. The ICANN Board will approved the final operational details and it will be added to the Applicant Guidebook.[4]