October 2007

Wednesday, 31st October: The IE Domain Registry (IEDR), the managed registry for Ireland's dot-ie domain names, has today launched personal dot-ie domain names. For the first time, individuals can now register their own personal dot-ie domain name such as www.johnsmith.ie.

Personal dot-ie domain names have been introduced due to the increasing popularity of social networking sites such as Bebo and Facebook, the rise of personal blogging sites and the increase in broadband take up which in turn has increased the number of individuals who are coming online.

Ireland's internet country code dot-ie is one of the safest in the world, named the second safest country code domain domain name in the world, after Finland (.fi). This is a result of the negligble levels of cybercrime and cybersquatting found on dot-ie websites, as claims to dot-ie domain name must be authenticated.

Registering your dot-ie is simple. Individuals can now register a dot-ie domain once they can authenticate a claim to the domain name and prove they have a real and substantive connection to the island of Ireland. To authenticate a claim, simply provide a copy of an identification document, for example an Irish utility bill or driving licence. The name on the document supplied must match exactly the domain name applied for. For example, if the name on the documentation is John Paul Smith, then you can register up to 15 variations of your first name, middle name and surname.It is not possible to register a nickname or first name only or surname only.

Commenting on the introduction of dot-ie personal domain names, Mr. David Curtin, Chief Executive of the IE Domain Registry said, "With the increase in broadband take up and the numbers of people maintaining a presence online with blogs, facebook and bebo profiles, we expect there to be keen interest from people who want to secure their name online or who want to secure a family name for generations to come. To ensure that the dot-ie domain name remains one of the safest domains in the world, applicants will need to authenticate their claim by providing matching supporting documentation such as an Irish passport or utility bill."

To check if your personal dot-ie domain name is available, visit www.iedr.ie. For a list of accredited dot-ie resellers, visit http://www.pdn.ie. To find out more call 1-890-88 22 89.

The IEDR will launch an online advertising campaign, to mark the introduction of personal dot-ie domain names. The new online banner ads will integrate the "Whois" look_up service so people can instantly see if their name is available.