Challenges of new domain names under spotlight at gathering of ICC experts

  • 26 November 2010

The impact of additional generic top level domain names (gTLDs) to business were highlighted during a gathering of business experts at ICC headquarters earlier this week.

Speaking at an ICC Commission on E-Business, IT and Telecoms (EBITT) meeting, guest speaker David Taylor, Partner, Hogan Lovells, discussed the potential impact that this will have on the Internet of tomorrow and threats that this initiative poses to businesses. He also highlighted some of the opportunities that this can bring to some businesses. Covering the situation with regard to the domain name industry today, the level of registrations and disputes across the world, Mr Taylor stressed to the participants that: “The situation is complex today and is likely to get worse tomorrow.” The meeting racked up attendance from a diverse range of ICC members and experts from Europe, the United States, Iran and Turkey. Taking place biannually the meetings are an opportunity to discuss e-business, information technology and telecommunication issues pertinent to business. Guest speaker Karl Rauscher, Chief Technology Officer and Distinguished Fellow of the EastWest Institute gave a presentation on the work of the Institute and spoke to participants about cybersecurity and critical infrastructure issues that affect global business across sectors. Under the leadership of EBITT Chair Herbert Heitmann, Executive Vice President, External Communications, Royal Dutch Shell, the commission also discussed a range of work areas and projects that included a future ICC discussion paper on peering/transit arrangements and the development of purchasing guidelines for cloud computing services. Members were also updated on ICC data protection and privacy activities including a status report on ICC’s sold out one-day global data protection conference set to take place on the second day of the International Association of Privacy Professionals’ Europe Data Protection Congress in Paris on 29-30 November. During a Business Action to Support the Information Society (BASIS) meeting on 16 November, ICC announced the renewal of the current BASIS initiative Chair Subramanian Ramadorai’s term. In a message to participants Mr Ramadorai, who is set to serve for another three years, stressed the importance of the BASIS initiative and underscored the strides it had made as a major business interlocutor on Internet, and information and communication technology-related issues since its inception over six years ago. “I look forward to continued efforts at the global level,” he said.