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[bartosiewicz.pl]

Here you can find some up-to-date information about .CZ and IDN plans for .CZ:

Recent presentation of Tomas Marsalek, Chairman of CZ.NIC

It's presentation from April's conference organized by NASK in Warsaw: SecondaryMarket2009.pl

A.Bartosiewicz

[Daniel Dryzek]

Introducing IDNs in .cz TLD is a good decision but made too late and it is still not for 100% sure, because 81% of companies and 66% of individuals in Czech Republic say NO for IDNs.

It would be much better if IDNs were introduced several years ago as it was done for example in Poland (.pl) in 2003. It was the first IDN introduction in European ccTLD and that's why IDNs in Poland are quite popular (they do have traffic - sometime very significant).

But it is still better to introduce IDNs now than never or later.

Direct link to .CZ presentation:
http://www.secondarymarket2009.pl/pd...alek_cznic.pdf

DD

[bartosiewicz.pl]

Tomas clearly stated that IDNs are not likely to be implemented under .CZ...

We will see how IDNs will develop under CZ. Probably when ICANN will made decision to implement top-level IDN-TLDs (1st level domain names), IDNs will become more popular as 2nd level domains too.

IDNs just need more PR activities...

Andrzej, NASK

[Daniel Dryzek]

Originally Posted by bartosiewicz.pl

Tomas clearly stated that IDNs are not likely to be implemented under .CZ...

Yep, people need more time to get convinced to IDNs but IMHO .CZ will have their IDNs sooner or later. It needs just time and market education.

Originally Posted by bartosiewicz.pl

IDNs just need more PR activities...

Right - more PR and more websites promoted under IDN version. It is really happening now in Poland but it took five years from releasing IDNs to make a step forward. And low prices for .pl IDNs (2.5 EUR both for registration and renewal) also helped IDNs in Poland.

DD

[bartosiewicz.pl]

Originally Posted by Daniel Dryzek

Right - more PR and more websites promoted under IDN version. It is really happening now in Poland but it took five years from releasing IDNs to make a step forward. And low prices for .pl IDNs (2.5 EUR both for registration and renewal) also helped IDNs in Poland.

From the .PL Registry perspective I haven't seen almost any change in renewals/% growth after we decreased the prices for .PL IDNs...

My expectation was to increase the renewals and growth by decreasing the price 4 times (by 75%). It's quite "huge" drop, but it doesn't work. There is no more interest in IDNs than before. It's not about price at all, it's about perception. And it's not going to change if there is no major action from ICANN side - implementation of new IDN-TLDs. This will make people around the world understand that the domain names ARE in the local languages... But ICANN is slow, very slow...

If we talk about % share of .PL IDNs in total # of domain names, it's the same level than 6 years ago...

Andrzej Bartosiewicz, NASK

[Daniel Dryzek]

Originally Posted by bartosiewicz.pl

From the .PL Registry perspective I haven't seen almost any change in renewals/% growth after we decreased the prices for .PL IDNs...

If we talk about % share of .PL IDNs in total # of domain names, it's the same level than 6 years ago...

Yes, but we talk about % share. Number of .pl domains in general rose by >60% last year (thanks to reg price drop to 10 PLN down from 60 PLN) so number of IDNs also rose by this %. If the prices of IDNs stayed at 40 PLN (9 EUR) or even 60 PLN (renewal prices until the end of last year) then we would see the % drop in IDN share - I could bet for that.

Lowering the prices of IDNs is only the first step to make IDNs popular and not the only one, which have to be made. People need time to get used to these domains. Companies need time to implement them into their projects.

And YES - prices of domains DO MATTER a lot.

DD

[bartosiewicz.pl]

We had steady growth of IDNs before we reduced prices and we have it now... So the general trend is not correlated with price.

Price matters, but if we talk about aftermarket sales of the names for a few hundred euro, it doesn't matter if renew price of the domain name is 2-3 or 9-10 euro.

But of course I'm glad that NASK reduced prices for IDNs in Poland, because we did everything we could to support it. Another story is if it was successful or not...

I hope other TLDs will learn from .PL how to deal with IDNs

Andrzej Bartosiewicz, NASK

[Daniel Dryzek]

Originally Posted by bartosiewicz.pl

We had steady growth of IDNs before we reduced prices and we have it now... So the general trend is not correlated with price.

Yes but a lot of IDNs would drop (after being registered for 10 PLN) if the price went back to 40 or 60 PLN. So the lowered prices of IDNs helped them a lot IMHO.

Price matters, but if we talk about aftermarket sales of the names for a few hundred euro, it doesn't matter if renew price of the domain name is 2-3 or 9-10 euro.

Oh, it does matter. And why the registry has to be the one to profit from national treasure? Because that's the case when we talk about ccTLDs. That's why I will always insist on lowering prices of domain names (especially ccTLDs), so all can profit (individuals, companies, registrars, domainers etc. - not only registry). That's why domains should cost 2-3 EUR not 9-10 EUR and more.

And what is also important - in the end - lower prices = larger number of domains = high revenue for the registry to cover costs and maintain the registry.

Lower prices help also to get more domains under the radar of domainers (more domains are worth parking or buying for reselling). Lower prices mean more domains for sale and lower average price of domains at aftermarket = more customers on aftermarket.

Those higher prices of maintaining domain names has to be covered by someone in the end (it is customer that buys domain names at aftermarket or primary market).

But of course I'm glad that NASK reduced prices for IDNs in Poland, because we did everything we could to support it. Another story is if it was successful or not...

I hope other TLDs will learn from .PL how to deal with IDNs

Yes, I am glad too and I hope that NASK will also reduce prices for nonIDNs just like it did for IDNs. 9-10 EUR is not a competitive price at European market.

DD

[bartosiewicz.pl]

You are changing your opinion from one extreme to another.

Few days ago (during NASK's Warsaw conference) you have said that higher renewal price = more domains left for aftermarket (more domains expiring...). Now you say opposite... What's going on? Why are you changing your mind so quickly...

It's obvious that if domain is cheaper than more domains can be used for traffic monetization (if the renewal price is 5 euro, domain must make more than 7 euro income from traffic and so on...). If domain is for 10 eurocents than it can be parked if getting just few clicks per year - but is this real domaining? We talk about valuable domains that can be parked or sold, not just fighting for "eurocents" profit per year. And what you say is only about market of low value domains with potential profits at 2-4 euro per year...

Each ccTLD has it's own policy and in our case Registrars, domainers/investors, end users and Registry gain. Just see the statistics of primary ans secondary market. Aftermarket in Poland is very well developed with strong, stable and growing 6% of total domains parked, competition in dropcatching, good position in SEDO/ND in case of sales etc...

Andrzej, NASK

[Daniel Dryzek]

Originally Posted by bartosiewicz.pl

It's obvious that if domain is cheaper than more domains can be used for traffic monetization (if the renewal price is 5 euro, domain must make more than 7 euro income from traffic and so on...). If domain is for 10 eurocents than it can be parked if getting just few clicks per year - but is this real domaining? We talk about valuable domains that can be parked or sold, not just fighting for "eurocents" profit per year. And what you say is only about market of low value domains with potential profits at 2-4 euro per year...

If you multiply it by 1-2 million domain names then you get 5-10 million EUR revenue each year and that's money. I know NASK doesn't have to worry about money but others need to earn money, because they don't have monopoly to sell .pl domains

But never mind. I told you several times that prices for .pl domains are too high. And I will repeat it every time we meet The same prices as in Poland are offered by Kenya Registry for example. So we can say prices in Poland are comparable to those in Africa.. great The good thing is that Poland is not the only market in Europe and that is what domain investors are aware of. That's why there are still much more domains and much more investors in countries like Netherland, Germany or UK, where domain prices are 2-4 EUR / year. EOT

Each ccTLD has it's own policy and in our case Registrars, domainers/investors, end users and Registry gain. Just see the statistics of primary ans secondary market. Aftermarket in Poland is very well developed with strong, stable and growing 6% of total domains parked, competition in dropcatching, good position in SEDO/ND in case of sales etc...

Agree! As for that high prices market is very well developed. That is thanks to NASK (yes, thanks to EPP, IDNs, DNT, OPTIONs and other technical solutions implemented by NASK), thanks to companies (registrars, dropcatchers, domainers, individuals and other businesses). Lowering the price would boost domain market in Poland even more but to do that - Polish registry needs more courage. Otherwise we will be only one of the average markets in Europe and not the biggest and most developed one.

Whatever will happen - domain investors will be fine, because there are a lot of possibilities out there.

DD