August 24, 2005 — (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — Web solutions provider and domain registrar Network Solutions (networksolutions.com) announced on Tuesday it is now taking pre-registration requests for .eu top-level domain names. All .eu domain names pre-registered through Network Solutions or through Network Solutions Partners will be submitted to registrar EURid at the start of the sunrise period.
The sunrise period invites those with recognized rights to a name, such as registered trademarks, approximately four months to register those names before the general public. Though EURid has not yet announced the sunrise period for .eu names, it is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2005.
Experts have questioned the value of such pre-registration services during the launch of other top-level domains, as pre-registrations are not guaranteed to produce a successful registration.
“The .eu top level domain is a tremendous opportunity for eligible organizations and individuals to identify an affiliation with the European Union through its domain name,” says Champ Mitchell, chairman and CEO of Network Solutions. “Our pre-registration request queue for .eu domain names is one more way in which Network Solutions goes above and beyond to ensure that we meet the needs of our customers.”
To qualify for a .eu name registration, applicants must meet certain criteria that have been established by the registry, including in-country presence. Companies with a principal place of business and organizations established within the European Community are eligible, as are individuals who reside in the European Community.
