Running a company? Maybe you’re a communications specialist? In charge of a community website or amenity? Or maybe you’re just struggling to find a unique domain name for your blog?
Then you need to know about the brand new domain extension that’s due to be launched this summer! .co domains give you a great opportunity to snag a memorable, unique domain that’s perfect for building a community or communications brand. Already have a brand you’re happy with? Then maybe you should grab the .co in order to protect it! .co domains aren’t on general sale yet, but we’re taking pre-orders for .co domain registrations now. As soon as it’s possible to buy them, we’ll submit your request and do our level best to bag it for you. You’ll need to be quick, though – they might not be available now but they’ll be registered on a first come, first served basis so someone may still pip you to the post (we’ll refund you if you’ve pre-ordered a registration and we find we’re unable to register the domain for you).
A word to the wise, though. The big brands will snap theirs up at an earlier (and more expensive – think ‘move the decimal point along a bit and be ready to go to auction’) stage of the process – or simply use their trademarks to claim the domain legitimately – so I wouldn’t bother trying to snag microsoft.co.
Where did .co come from?
It’s actually originally the Columbian domain extension, much like the .uk that we’re familiar with in the United Kingdom. But, Columbia felt that it had such potential that it would be popular elsewhere in the world – just like the folk of Tuvalu did with .tv – so it was decided that they’d release it for general use.
So, how does the launch of a new domain extension work?
There are several stages to the launch of a new domain extension. First is what’s called Sunrise period. This is where owners of registered trademarks step forward to apply for domain names that fit with the trademarks they hold. Applications are assessed, and if there are two valid applications for the same domain there will be an auction to determine the winner. The next stage is Landrush. This opens up registration to those who don’t necessarily have trademarks but do have the wherewithal to pay a couple of hundred quid (or more) for a domain name. If it’s not been registered during Sunrise, it’s fair game here and an auction will occur if there are multiple applications for the same domain.
Finally, the new domain extension goes into General Availability. This is just as it sounds and is what we’re taking pre-orders for – anything which hasn’t been snaffled during Sunrise or Landrush becomes available to register, the price drops to its standard level (£27.99 per year from Daily) and domain name registration works just as it normally does. For .co, this happens on 20th July – we’ll submit your requested domains as soon as possible.
