BT to offer .tel domains

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BT will begin selling .tel domains in May, after the new top level domain went completely public this week.

The .tel domain is a new system that lets users store data directly in the Domain Name System (DNS), meaning they can offer key data such as contact information without building a website.

Khashayar Mahdavi, chief executive of registry operator Telnic, said: "The launch of .tel represents the most significant innovation for the internet since .com.”

BT will be offering a .tel domain as part of its small business social networking site BT Tradespace. MySpace will also be selling the domains, which can also be purchased from some 100 other ICANN-accredited sites.

The .tel domain has been available since late last year to trademark holders, and is now available to anyone willing to pay a basic registration fee.

Some big names have already signed up for a .tel domain, including Apple, BP, British Airways, Gap, Google, Microsoft, Sony, Starbucks and Virgin.

Phil Kingsland, director of communications at .uk registry Nominet, warned companies to consider cybersquatters with this latest domain. “Companies should still be mindful of the opportunities and potential risks to an organisations’ brand as new domains are launched," he said.

"Organisations should do as much as they can to stop on-line brand infringement by implementing effective domain name strategies to maintain the welfare of their brand identity.”

Click here to read how even big brands continue to be cursed by cybersquatting.

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