June 19, 2002 -- (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) -- The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers will begin hearing the proposals, on Wednesday, of organizations seeking to run the .org domain registry, the management of which ICANN plans to transfer away from VeriSign.
Following Tuesday?s deadline for bid proposals, ICANN will hold a roundtable on Wednesday to unveil the bidders. Each bidder will have five minutes to present their bid and explain how they would best meet the needs of the .org domain, which currently consists of 2.7 million domains.
The registry?s current manager, VeriSign, brokered a deal with ICANN last year in which VeriSign would give up control of the .org domain in order to maintain control of the .net and .com domains, and prevent its breakup into separate registrar and registry businesses.
The .org domain was originally intended for non-profit organizations, though the rule has not been enforced. But the expected $10 million in yearly revenues the .org domain is expected to generate has reportedly drawn the interest of a number of profit-minded businesses. Even VeriSign was rumored to be preparing a bid of its own.
