A new home for the digital Red Ribbon

BERLIN, Sept. 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Uniregistry Corp., a leading domain name registration services company founded by Frank Schilling, and dotHIV, the first charitable Top-Level Domain Registry, jointly announce today that the .hiv TLD will change ownership to Uniregistry. The two organizations plan to conclude the transition prior to December 1st 2015 – World AIDS Day.

The .hiv TLD made history last year as the first open charitable TLD, dedicated to the global fight against AIDS. .hiv domain names are digital Red Ribbons for their owners, including global businesses like TED, Paulaner, Sixt, Gilead, community organ POZ, and tech magazine WIRED. These names help raise awareness around HIV and generate funds for verified HIV projects. The TLD opens up a dedicated namespace that brings website owners together behind one goal: The end of AIDS.

Today, Uniregistry takes over the lead in this unique journey to use a top-level domain to promote a social good. The dotHIV charity will continue its work for .hiv and focus on community support. The creative agency thjnk from Hamburg, Germany, longstanding partner of the initiative, will continue to work on behalf of the .hiv top-level domain, exploring new and existing opportunities for social change.

"In its first year on the market, .hiv has proven that it triggers awareness and rallies new allies for the global AIDS response," says dotHIV CEO Carolin Silbernagl. "The fundraising has led to tangible results as well. Being able to provide WE-ACTx for Hope, our partner organization in Rwanda, with the means to do their life-saving work is an amazing confirmation. Even better our belief that this is just the beginning."

As a registry operator, Uniregistry launched to the public in 2014 and now operates 24 new domain name extensions. With its extensive registrar channel and deep understanding of the domain name market, Uniregistry intends to broaden the reach of the .hiv top-level domain, extending the influence of this first social cause TLD.

"By assuming the registry operations of .hiv, we are taking our core skills and putting them at the service of one of the most urgent challenges of humankind," says Uniregistry's Managing Director Frank Schilling. "The United Nations has reconfirmed the opportunities to end the global AIDS epidemic within our lifetime. At Uniregistry, we want to be a part of this ambitious endeavor."

.hiv will maintain its charitable nature under its new ownership. "Of course, Uniregistry is a for-profit company. But with .hiv, we act as a social enterprise," says Frank Schilling. "It is the social mission that will guide the operation of this special TLD."

For more information:

Uniregistry
uniregistry.link

dotHIV Initiative
click4life.hiv

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SOURCE Uniregistry Corp.