Changes

==New gTLDs==

==New gTLDs==

In December 2011, weeks before the opening of [[ICANN]]'s new [[gTLD]] program, the Chinese national [[registry]], [[CNNIC]], announced that it was applying for the IDN equivalents of .company, and .network.<ref>[http://tech.sina.com.cn/i/2011-12-20/10326538420.shtml .company .network Domain Names], Sina.com. Published 20 December 2011.</ref> This move was seen as potentially problematic given Verisign's own plans to seek the IDN equivalents of their [[.com]] and [[.net]] TLDs, such as their intention to apply for multiple transliterated versions of .com and .net.<ref>[http://www.managingip.com/Article/2761204/VeriSign-wants-com-and-net-IDNs.html Verisign Wants Com and Net], ManagingIP.com.  Published 3 February 2011.</ref> Verisign's [[Pat Kane]] later added in January 2012 that the company was planning on applying for "about 12" new gTLDs, and noted that most of these were going to be foreign language transliterations of [[.com]].<ref>[http://seekingalpha.com/article/322517-verisign-management-discusses-q4-2011-results-earnings-call-transcript?part=qanda 2011 Results Earnings Call Transcript], SeekingAlpha.com. Published 26 January 2012.</ref> Expected languages included Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Cyrillic, Arabic, and Hebrew.<ref>[http://domainnamewire.com/2012/01/26/verisign-plans-to-apply-for-about-12-new-top-level-domain-names/ Verisign Plans to Apply for About 12 New Top Level Domain Names], DomainNameWire.com. Published 26 January 2012.</ref> It was also noted then that Verisign had already been chosen to provide [[registry]] services for several [[Brand gTLD|.brand]] initiatives.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/verisign-to-apply-for-a-dozen-new-gtlds/ Verisign to Apply for a Dozen New gTLDs], DomainIncite.com. Published 27 January 2012.</ref>

In December 2011, weeks before the opening of [[ICANN]]'s new [[gTLD]] program, the Chinese national [[registry]], [[CNNIC]], announced that it was applying for the IDN equivalents of .company, and .network.<ref>[http://tech.sina.com.cn/i/2011-12-20/10326538420.shtml .company .network Domain Names], Sina.com. Published 20 December 2011.</ref> This move was seen as potentially problematic given Verisign's own plans to seek the IDN equivalents of their [[.com]] and [[.net]] TLDs, such as their intention to apply for multiple transliterated versions of .com and .net.<ref>[http://www.managingip.com/Article/2761204/VeriSign-wants-com-and-net-IDNs.html Verisign Wants Com and Net], ManagingIP.com.  Published 3 February 2011.</ref> Verisign's [[Pat Kane]] later added in January 2012 that the company was planning on applying for "about 12" new gTLDs, and noted that most of these were going to be foreign language transliterations of [[.com]].<ref>[http://seekingalpha.com/article/322517-verisign-management-discusses-q4-2011-results-earnings-call-transcript?part=qanda 2011 Results Earnings Call Transcript], SeekingAlpha.com. Published 26 January 2012.</ref> Expected languages included Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Cyrillic, Arabic, and Hebrew.<ref>[http://domainnamewire.com/2012/01/26/verisign-plans-to-apply-for-about-12-new-top-level-domain-names/ Verisign Plans to Apply for About 12 New Top Level Domain Names], DomainNameWire.com. Published 26 January 2012.</ref> It was also noted then that Verisign had already been chosen to provide [[registry]] services for several [[Brand gTLD|.brand]] initiatives.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/verisign-to-apply-for-a-dozen-new-gtlds/ Verisign to Apply for a Dozen New gTLDs], DomainIncite.com. Published 27 January 2012.</ref>

During its first quarter earnings report, on April 26, 2012, it was confirmed that Verisign would be applying for 14 new gTLDs, 12 of which are foreign language transliterations of .com and .net. They also announced that they had been contracted by 220 new gTLD applicants to provide technical backend services.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/breaking-verisign-has-220-new-gtld-clients/ Breaking: Verisign has 220 new gTLD clients], DomainIncite.com. Published 26 April 2012.</ref><ref>[http://domainnamewire.com/2012/04/26/verisign-is-backend-for-220-new-tld-applicants-and-applies-for-14-itself/ VeriSign is backend for 220 new TLD applicants and applies for 14 itself], DomainNameWire.com. Published 26 April 2012.</ref> They were the fourth most popular registry services provider, contracted by a total of 12% of applicants.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/9442-the-registry-back-end-market-numbers-are-in The Registry Back end Market Numbers are In], DomainIncite.com. Published 17 June 2012.</ref>

During its first quarter earnings report, on April 26, 2012, it was confirmed that Verisign would be applying for 14 new gTLDs, 12 of which are foreign language transliterations of .com and .net.

In November 2012, the three entities most responsible for the Internet's [[Root Zone]], [[ICANN]], [[NTIA]], and Verisign, confirmed that they were prepared with enough resources to launch up to 100 new gTLDs per week.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/10961-icann-verisign-and-ntia-ready-for-100-new-gtlds-per-week ICANN Verisign and Ntia Ready for 100 New gTLDs per week], DomainIncite.com. Published 8 November 2012.</ref>

In November 2012, the three entities most responsible for the Internet's [[Root Zone]], [[ICANN]], [[NTIA]], and Verisign, confirmed that they were prepared with enough resources to launch up to 100 new gTLDs per week.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/10961-icann-verisign-and-ntia-ready-for-100-new-gtlds-per-week ICANN Verisign and Ntia Ready for 100 New gTLDs per week], DomainIncite.com. Published 8 November 2012.</ref>