January 19, 2005 -- (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) -- According to reports, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (icann.org) is currently weighing proposals for the management of the .net top-level domain, after the deadline for bids closed this week.
Level 1 PCI DSS Certified Service Provider! DataPipe delivers the best network & support; top tier data centers; New York metro, Silicon Valley, London, Hong Kong, Shanghai. DataPipe - Personal Touch, Global Reach.
ICANN is working to select an operator to take over management of the .net registry when VeriSign's contract expires. A range of groups and organizations announced in recent weeks that they have submitted proposals. The frontrunners reportedly include deNIC and Afilias, along with the registry's current manager VeriSign.
Representatives for ICANN said the group would publish a full list of bidders on Wednesday. Competition for the contract is thick, as .net is one of the Internet's oldest, and most widely used, domains. ICANN also said it would announce a third-party auditor, which will be responsible for ensuring there are no conflicts of interest in the bidding process.
Companies such as Sun Microsystems and Microsoft have reportedly already offered their endorsements for VeriSign, while several other major Internet players have remained silent.
