Dot Asia domain suffix launched

Businesses keen to capitalise on the potential opportunities available in emerging markets received a welcome boost today as the dot Asia internet domain suffix officially went on sale.

The new top level domain is currently only available to government orgsanisations and those with trademarked names and this so-called 'sunrise' period will last until the middle of next month, when local companies will then be able to sign up for the suffix. Anyone will be able to register for a dot Asia domain from March next year, following what's known as the land rush phase.

"We strongly believe that a .Asia domain name will provide value for business[es] worldwide to speak and show their commitment to the Asia market, and for companies in Asia to establish a globally recognised and regionally significant presence online," said Edmon Chung, chief executive of DotAsia, the registry responsible for the new domain name.

"Beyond just brand protection, .Asia domain can be an asset to an enterprise's corporate identity and can be utilised as a portal or gateway to the whole Asia market. Even for companies who may already have a presence in some specific countries in the region, .Asia provides value for showing commitment for the rest of Asia."

As is the nature of globalisation, companies are keen to extend their reach and ensure that their brands are protected in every geography. Mobile and web players in particular have previously said that they're setting their sights firmly on countries like China and India as the next big areas of growth and the emergence of the new domain suffix will no doubt help them garner loyalty from local audiences.

The arrival of dot Asia will most certainly prove attractive to companies looking to boost their local appeal, according to Eleanor Bradley, director of operations at Nominet, the registry in charge of .uk domain names. But she warns that businesses do need to be clear about their policies regarding top level domains and whether they simply wish to protect their IP globally or select a few core regions in which to focus their attention as this issue will come up again with the arrival of other region-specific suffixes in the future.

Thomas Herbert, product manager at web hosting specialist Hostway, concurs with the potential for business growth the new domain offers. "With 60 per cent of the world population living in the Asia-Pacific region, and over 400 million internet users, the .Asia domain name is bound to be a success," he said.

"Furthermore, with global brands such as Google investing strongly in this area - exemplified by its acquisition of a stake in Chinese social networking site Tianya - the Asian market is seeing significant potential for growth at the moment. When you also consider the huge numbers of businesses in the rest of the world targeting the Asian market, the potential for the domain name is vast."

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