Overview Message
It's no secret: information drives the Internet worldwide. From New York to New Delhi, the Internet's ability to provide easy access to virtually any kind of information is the primary customer benefit offered by the World Wide Web. In an effort to answer the growing demand for an increased quantity and variety of domains on the Web, Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) recently approved .info as one of seven additional top-level domains (TLDs). The most attractive of the new domains is .info because universally, the Internet is synonymous with information and the new .info gTLD represents the same extensive benefits associated with ready access to greater volumes and higher quality information realized by Internet users worldwide.

Why choose .info?
There are a wide variety of reasons that .info may represent your best choice for new domain registrations.

Availability
Many of the most common or useful names in the .com, .net, and .org namespaces have long since been registered. A poll of active operating registrars conducted by SnapNames.com shows that 97% of user attempts to register a .com domain fail!!

Unrestricted
The .info registry is an open one which means that .info is the only new unrestricted domain out of the seven new gTLDs approved. As the one true alternative to .com, .net and .org, it is also expected to generate the largest demand in the marketplace which will foster the development of universal recognition and acceptance.

Worldwide Appeal
The .info extension can represent the abbreviated form of the word information in many languages other than English. This translatability will aid in the adoption and acceptance of .info.

Protection of Interests
Many existing domain registrations represent valid and legitimate business interests. As the launch of .info progresses, it is important for businesses to seize the opportunity provided by the registry to protect those interests.

Positioning
Afilias is well-positioned to bring .info to market: its members are experts in securing domain names with over 10 million domain name registrations in the last year alone. Afilias members also offer their customers a wide array of site management tools and other services. With representation in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, as well as in the U.S., Afilias is ready and able to provide efficient and effective registry services to growing markets around the world.

Promotion
Affilias, the company responsible for the .info registry has publicly announced its commitment to the promotion of .info including a program whereby registrar marketing dollars with be matched on a pro-rated basis. This coupled with the support of the 18 registrar consortium partners, will let you rest assured that .info will enjoy recognition as the one true alternative to .com, .net, and .org.

Summary
The rollout of .info presents an opportunity for o rganizations to re-think not only their web strategy, but also their brand strategy. With the availability of new top-level domains, brand managers and intellectual property specialists alike will have new ways for communicating with consumers worldwide. Afilias' offering of .info also presents an opportunity for you to experience tremendous business growth. In the process of expanding the Web, you'll also help achieve the goal of transforming the Internet into a truly global marketplace.