News Release
April 15, 2008 CANADA HITS ONE MILLION DOT-CA (.CA) INTERNET ADDRESSES OTTAWA, Ontario, April 15, 2008 – The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) announced today that Canadian Internet users have registered one million dot-ca (.ca) Internet domain names. As one of the world’s most wired nations, Canadians continue to use the Internet for personal and business reasons in ever increasing numbers. Reaching the one million dot-ca domain name milestone demonstrates Canada’s strong Internet presence and the popularity of Canadian websites. Brent Krause of Calgary, Alberta, registered the one-millionth dot-ca domain name, krauslaw.ca, and is using it for a website to promote his private law practice. “I’ve recommended dot-ca domains in the past and dot-ca was my first choice for my own legal practice,” says Krause who has over 10-years experience in intellectual property law. The dot-ca domain name was established in 1987 by a group of volunteers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and transferred to CIRA in 2000. In 1988 the first dot-ca domain name, upei.ca, was registered by the University of Prince Edward Island. Since then dot-ca domain name usage has grown at over 20% per year. This growth is remarkable considering that dot-ca domains are reserved exclusively for Canadians. “Dot-ca represents Canada on the Internet. A dot-ca domain name, website, or email address means you can be confident that you are dealing with a Canadian or Canadian business online,” says Byron Holland, President and CEO of CIRA. Dot-ca now ranks as the seventeenth largest Internet domain name registry when compared to generic domain names like dot-com and country specific domain names like dot-uk (United Kingdom). “The registration of over one million dot-ca domains is a testament to the great work being done by CIRA. On behalf of the entire ICANN community, congratulations,” said Dr. Paul Twomey, President and CEO of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the global organization that governs Internet domain names. To thank Canadians for making a dot-ca their domain name of choice CIRA has launched a celebration website, www.onemilliondomains.ca to highlight dot-ca success stories. Dot-ca domain names are available through a network of over 140 Canadian domain name registrars who also provide a range of Internet solutions including website hosting, email service, and website design. About CIRA The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) is the not-for-profit, member-driven organization that manages Canada's dot-ca (.ca) domain name registry, develops and implements policies that support Canada's Internet community, and represents the dot-ca registry internationally. CIRA processes over 300 million requests per day to connect Internet users with over one million dot-ca Internet addresses. For more information or to schedule an interview: Melisa Durak-Buljubasic
Public Relations and Communications Specialist Phone: 613-237-5335 (ext. 294) Cell: 613.219.5328
melisa.db@cira.ca
Your Media Contacts
www.onemilliondomains.ca • www.cira.ca • melisa.db@cira.ca • 613.237.5335 ext: 294 Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) 350 Sparks Street, Suite 1110 Ottawa, ON K1R 7S8
Melisa Durak-Buljubasic Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) Public Relations and Communications Specialist Phone: 613-237-5335 ext. 294 Cell: 613-219-5328 Email: melisa.db@cira.ca David Hicks Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) Director, Marketing & Communications Phone: 613-237-5335 ext. 292 Cell: 613-286-5288 Email: david.hicks@cira.ca
One Million Domains Campaign website: www.onemilliondomains.ca
The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) website: www.cira.ca
www.onemilliondomains.ca • www.cira.ca • melisa.db@cira.ca • 613.237.5335 ext: 294 Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) 350 Sparks Street, Suite 1110 Ottawa, ON K1R 7S8
Other Contact Information
(willing to be interviewed):
John Demco, Ex-officio, Board of Directors, Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA)
Phone: 604-781-3515 E-mail: demco@webnames.ca .CA was conceived in 1987 by John Demco, former Computer Facilities Manager at the University of British Columbia (UBC) who had the foresight to protect a uniquely Canadian presence on the World Wide Web. Before 2000 all .CA domains were administered and registered on a voluntary basis by John Demco in his UBC office. He helped to establish the Canadian Internet Registration Authority, and is a founding member of its Board of Directors.
Byron Holland, President and CEO, Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA)
Phone: 613-237-5335 x258 E-mail: byron.holland@cira.ca Byron G. Holland was appointed President and CEO of the Canadian Internet Registration Authority on January 21, 2008. From 2000 to 2007, Holland was a founding partner and the Chief Operating Officer of Futura Rewards, the third largest coalition loyalty program in Canada.
Debi Rosati, Chair, Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA)
Phone: 613-237-5335 x224 (Lynn Gravel) E-mail: lynn.gravel@cira.ca Debi Rosati founded RosatiNet, inc., a venture catalyst firm focused on developing financing strategies for technology start-ups. Today, Debi chairs the Board of the Canadian Internet Registration Authority and sits on the Board of Sears Canada Inc., Ontario Lottery Gaming Corporation and several private company boards.
www.onemilliondomains.ca • www.cira.ca • melisa.db@cira.ca • 613.237.5335 ext: 294 Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) 350 Sparks Street, Suite 1110 Ottawa, ON K1R 7S8
Canada’s Best Kept Secret on the Internet - .CA
Brief .CA History and Fast Facts
May 1987 The dot-ca registry started. The registry is managed by a group of volunteers at the University of British Columbia (UBC). At that time the dot-ca domain was primarily for the Government and Academic communities, with individuals being unable to register domains. From 1987 to 2000 the volunteers at UBC registered almost 60,000 domain names. First .ca domain name registered was upei.ca (University of Prince Edward Island) First qc.ca domain name registered in Quebec was hydro.qc.ca (Hydro Quebec) As use of the Internet grows, the Canadian Internet community decided to undertake a reform of the dot-ca registry. The Canadian Domain Names Consultative Committee (CDNCC) was created and it was recommended that a not-for-profit, private sector corporation be incorporated to run the dot-ca registry. The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) was incorporated to manage the dot-ca registry. The official hand-over from the University of British Columbia to CIRA. Official opening of CIRA offices. First Annual CIRA General Meeting in Toronto. There are 270,655 dot-ca domain names registered as of the end of the year. CIRA has seen an increase in registrations of approximately 500 percent. There are 320,788 dot-ca domain names registered as of the end of the year. Dot-ca domains names now number 389,216. Dot-ca domains names now number 482,684. The dot-ca registry reaches 620,000 domains. With a total of 226,862 new registrations, this was a 29% increase in new registrations from 2004. The 750,000 dot-ca domain is registered. The dot-ca registry reaches 777,080 domains The dot-ca registry reaches 943,727 domains. Total of 319,286 new registrations. Canada reaches One Million dot-ca registrations
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www.onemilliondomains.ca • www.cira.ca • melisa.db@cira.ca • 613.237.5335 ext: 294 Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) 350 Sparks Street, Suite 1110 Ottawa, ON K1R 7S8
About the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) and its Role:
Manage .CA domain space Develop and implement domain name policy Facilitate .CA Dispute Resolution Policy (CDRP) Accredit and license Registrars Run centralized WHOIS service for .CA Represent .CA internationally - Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) etc.
www.onemilliondomains.ca • www.cira.ca • melisa.db@cira.ca • 613.237.5335 ext: 294 Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) 350 Sparks Street, Suite 1110 Ottawa, ON K1R 7S8
General Information
What is a dot-ca (.ca)?
Dot-ca represents the Top Level Domain for Canada. A top-level domain representing a country is called a country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD). Dot-ca (.ca) is the ccTLD for Canada.
What is a top-level domain (TLD)?
A top-level domain is what comes after the last dot in a webname, known as a domain name. The most commonly known top-level domains are .com, .net, and .org. There are also country-specific top-level domains, such as .ca for Canada, .uk for United Kingdom and .jp for Japan.
What is a domain name?
Domain names are the familiar and easy to remember names, such as cbc.ca, used to identify computers on the Internet. Domain names correspond to the Internet Protocol (IP) address numbers that are used to identify computers and route Internet traffic. Because nine-digit IP addresses are harder to remember than a catchy domain name, domain names have become the calling card for websites.
What is the Domain Name System (DNS)?
Although it started as a small project that few thought would become essential to modern communication, the Domain Name System (DNS) is now an essential component of the Internet’s infrastructure. Without DNS’ simplified naming system the easy-to-use Internet we rely on would not exist. In its simplest form DNS associates easy to remember domain names with the corresponding numerical IP (Internet Protocol) addresses that identify computers connected to the Internet. For example, CIRA’s website host name, www.cira.ca matches with the IP address 192.228.29.1 which is far more difficult to remember. The development of DNS is credited to Paul Mockapetris, and the first DNS servers were activated twenty-five years ago.
How does dot-ca differ from dot-com?
Dot-ca is the country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) designating Canadian domain name. Dot-com is the generic Top Level domain (gTLD) designating commercial activities. The policies and administration of the dot-ca domain name are set by the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) and governed by Canadian law. The gTLDs are managed in the United States under American law.
What is a Registry?
A Registry is an entity that maintains the master database of domain names for a top-level domain (TLD). The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) is the Registry for the dot-ca domain name.
www.onemilliondomains.ca • www.cira.ca • melisa.db@cira.ca • 613.237.5335 ext: 294 Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) 350 Sparks Street, Suite 1110 Ottawa, ON K1R 7S8
What is a Registrar? (retailer)
CIRA receives dot-ca domain information from Registrars (domain name retailers), who register domain names on behalf of Registrants - people who would like to register and use a dot-ca domain name. CIRA adds this information into what is called a 'zone file', which allows computers to route Internet traffic to and from domains around the world. As of 2008, CIRA has over 140 Certified Registrars.
What is a Registrant?
A person who has registered a domain name is a Registrant. Dot-ca registration policy requires that dot-ca Registrants meet Canadian Presence Requirements. Because of Canadian Presence Requirements you can feel comfortable that there is a Canadian behind every dot-ca website.
What is CIRA’s Role?
The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) maintains dot-ca registry that allocates dot-ca domain names and administers the authoritative Domain Name System (DNS) name servers for all dot-ca domain names, and processes over 300 million requests per day to connect Internet users with 1 million dot-ca domain names.
www.onemilliondomains.ca • www.cira.ca • melisa.db@cira.ca • 613.237.5335 ext: 294 Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) 350 Sparks Street, Suite 1110 Ottawa, ON K1R 7S8
Biography
Byron Holland, President and CEO, Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA)
Byron G. Holland was appointed President and CEO of the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) on January 21, 2008. From 2000 to 2007, Holland was a founding partner and the Chief Operating Officer of Futura Rewards, the third largest coalition loyalty program in Canada. Holland oversaw the development and growth of Futura Rewards from an upstart in the loyalty rewards market into a publicly traded company with over 100 brand partners and 400,000 members. Prior to Futura Rewards, Holland spent five years as the Managing Partner of Surf Side Limited, where he was responsible for turning the foundering Ottawa-based sporting goods retailer into a top-tier, profitable business. From 1991 to 1993, Holland worked as Senior Financial Analyst for Antares Electronics Inc. during which time it was acquired by Control Data. Holland holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honours from the University of Western Ontario and a Master of Business Administration from Queen’s University. Holland continues to serve on the Board of Directors of the Futura Loyalty Group.
www.onemilliondomains.ca • www.cira.ca • melisa.db@cira.ca • 613.237.5335 ext: 294 Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) 350 Sparks Street, Suite 1110 Ottawa, ON K1R 7S8
Biography
Debi Rosati, Chair, Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA)
Deborah Rosati, CA, founded RosatiNet, inc., a venture catalyst firm focused on developing financing strategies for technology start-ups. She was co-founder/CFO of technology start-up TimeStep Corporation (acquired by Newbridge Networks). She was also General partner at Celtic House and has held senior finance positions with Tundra and Cognos. Today, Debi chairs the Board of the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) and sits on the Board of Sears Canada Inc., Ontario Lottery Gaming Corporation and several private company boards. Debi has been actively involved in giving back to her community through her business leadership roles with the Ottawa Hospital Foundation, The School of Management Advisory Board, University of Ottawa and The Faculty of Business Advisory Council, Brock University, OCRI's Entrepreneurship Centre Advisory Committee. She has been involved as, Chair/co-founder of CATA's WIT Forum National Advisory Board and Co-Chair /co-founder of the Ottawa ENGAGE! Program. Debi has participated as a judge in the 2006 and 2005 Wes Nicol Entrepreneurial Award. Debi graduated from Brock University, Honours Bachelor of Business Administration (1984) and is a Chartered Accountant (1985) with over 20 years in the field of finance and management.
www.onemilliondomains.ca • www.cira.ca • melisa.db@cira.ca • 613.237.5335 ext: 294 Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) 350 Sparks Street, Suite 1110 Ottawa, ON K1R 7S8
One Million .CA Sponsors
Domain Direct – million.domaindirect.ca Congratulations Canada! Domain Direct, Canada's first choice for dotCA domains, is helping celebrate this incredible milestone by giving away hundreds of dotCA domains. Every day in May, 20 lucky customers will receive their dotCA domain registration free of charge.
Domains At Cost – www.domainsatcost.ca Proudly Canadian, Domainsatcost.ca is pleased to have helped Canada reach its One Million .CA Domains milestone. Help us celebrate! Register your .CA domain name in the month of April 2008 at Domainsatcost.ca and you will be entered in The Great Canadian Domain Draw for a chance to win one of three uniquely Canadian prizes, including a plasma television for the Stanley Cup playoffs!
Netfirms – www.netfirms.ca/million Netfirms helps thousands of Canadians succeed on the web every year with allinclusive web hosting solutions and domains! Our commitment to creating positive customer experiences with high-quality products, support, and technology has made Netfirms one of the fastest growing web hosting companies in Canada.
Sibername www.sibername.com Sibername is a Canadian company providing a range of Internet services, including domain registration, web hosting, web hosting and SSL certificates. Founded in 2000, Sibername offers a full service solutions geared towards small businesses and individuals. In celebration of the millionth dot-ca milestone Sibername is offering customers a 10% discount on any new dot-ca registrations! Simply go to www.sibername.com and use the code 1million to get your dot-ca domain today! If you are the lucky person to register the millionth dot-ca domain with Sibername, we will renew it for free for life!
Webnames www.webnames.ca Webnames.ca is Canada's original domain registrar and started as a spin-off from the Internet pioneers who founded dot-ca. Today Webnames.ca is a one-stop convenience for the online needs of individuals, businesses and nonprofits. In addition to domain registration, Webnames.ca offers corporate domain management, webhosting, web builder, email, SSL and more. In celebration of the millionth dot-ca milestone, new dot-ca registrations and transfers will be 50% off in April.
eGate www.egatedomains.ca EGATE Domains, one of the largest domain name registrars in Canada, is excited to help CIRA celebrate its one millionth domain name. We plan to continue to support this uniquely Canadian identity. Please visit us and take advantage of our promotions that commemorate this milestone.
www.onemilliondomains.ca • www.cira.ca • melisa.db@cira.ca • 613.237.5335 ext: 294 Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) 350 Sparks Street, Suite 1110 Ottawa, ON K1R 7S8
Industry Chart
www.onemilliondomains.ca • www.cira.ca • melisa.db@cira.ca • 613.237.5335 ext: 294 Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) 350 Sparks Street, Suite 1110 Ottawa, ON K1R 7S8