The winners of the Afilias Global Innovation Contest for New TLD Ideas are in.

As the countdown for the ICANN gTLD program ticks away its final 100 days, potential dot Brand applicants have to make important decisions in a short space of time: whether to apply for a new TLD, how to best leverage a new top-level domain, and which gTLD partner to choose.

Free global event features business, branding, and Internet experts focusing on the strategic questions surrounding new TLDs for brands

"Global Innovation Contest for New TLD Ideas" represents first-of-its-kind competition for defining new domain concepts

DUBLIN -- October 3, 2011 -- Afilias Limited, a leading Internet registry services provider, today announced a rapid-fire contest to generate ideas for new top-level domains (new TLDs). As organizations consider whether or not to invest in new TLDs under the forthcoming ICANN New TLD program, they may not consider all the possibilities for new TLDs. The "Afilias Global Innovation Contest for New TLD Ideas" is designed to address that issue.

These days, with the deadline to apply for a dot Brand, dot Niche or dot City TLD from ICANN coming fast, everyone is saying why you should apply for one (or more.) Well, we've found a few reasons why you might not apply for your dot Anything.

10. The 28.8 kbps modem in our office can't download all 352 pages of the ICANN Applicant Guidebook.

9. I might have to hire more people to handle all of the new business we'll get.

8. $185,000 buys a lot of cheeseburgers. Try eating a TLD when you’re hungry.

Free online resources outline opportunities for dot.BRAND TLDs in today's new Internet environment
ICANN SINGAPORE - June 20, 2011 - In a historic move, today the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) approved its long-discussed New gTLD Program. This program allows any brand or community of interest to apply for a unique "right of the dot" top-level domain. For example, instead of ".com," a brand like Nike could apply for ".nike" to reinforce its brand on the Web.

Alliance designed to help Chinese companies apply for "dot.BRAND" top-level domains
ICANN SINGAPORE - June 20, 2011 - Afilias Limited, a global provider of Internet domain name registry and Managed DNS services, today announced that it has entered into a formal agreement with Chinese Internet services leader HiChina, a subsidiary of Alibaba.com, to help Chinese brands take advantage of ICANN's New TLD Program.

ICANN identified a technical issue with the TAS system software.

At its recent meeting in San Francisco, ICANN approved a new draft timeline for the launch of its new generic top-level domains (gTLDs) program that will let its Board of Directors approve the final Applicant Guidebook in June 2011, enabling companies to apply for gTLDs before the end of the year.

SAN FRANCISCO – Feb. 10, 2011 – Afilias Limited, a global provider of Internet domain name registry and Domain Name System (DNS) services, today announced that it has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Crowell & Moring LLP. Under this MoU, Afilias and Crowell & Moring will extend their current working relationship into supporting new top-level domains (TLDs).