SAN FRANCISCO and MELBOURNE, Jan. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Following the opening of applications for new Top-Level Domains on 12 January, NCC Group (LSE: NCC.L), the world's largest IT assurance/software and data escrow company, and ARI Registry Services, a leading provider of back-end registry services and consulting to applicants for top-level domains, today announce a program to assist prospective applicants with the management of their new domains. Under the terms of this agreement, NCC Group will refer prospective applicants to ARI Registry Services for technical back-end registry services and consulting, and ARI Registry Services will refer prospective applicants to NCC Group for data escrow and IT assurance services.

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The new Top-Level Domain program was given the go-ahead in Singapore on 20 June 2011 by ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), the global governing body for internet addresses. The monumental shake-up will see domain names move beyond the increasingly saturated .com space to a large number of generic domains. ICANN's application window for new generic Top-Level Domains (gTLD) will close on 12 April 2012.

The new gTLD program will allow for new Internet extensions similar to .com, .biz and .info to be applied for and introduced, with interest currently being shown for extensions representing brands (for example .canon), generic words (.shop or .web) and geographic locations (.paris).  As part of the gTLD application process, applicants must demonstrate how they will satisfy many different ICANN accreditation criteria.  One critical requirement is to establish daily transfers of domain registration data to a reputable escrow agent such as NCC Group.  Data escrow is one of the five critical functions of running a registry and is necessary to ensure continuity of registry operations in the event of a physical, technical, or business failure.

Adrian Kinderis, CEO of ARI Registry Services, said: "The data escrow requirement for new gTLDs from ICANN means that new gTLD applicants have to find a provider with quality and reliability. That is why we are delighted to work with the world's largest IT assurance and data escrow company. We are confident in NCC Group's capabilities and that their approach mirrors ours."

Tom Scopazzi, Registry Services Manager at NCC Group, added:  "ARI Registry Services' registry platform is fast and flexible and works with many business models while maintaining high reliability. We look forward to working with ARI Registry Services to help new gTLD applicants with the technical implementation of their new Top-Level Domains." 

NCC Group has been active in the domain name community since 2007 when it assisted ICANN with the development of the gTLD Registry Failover Plan. Since then, NCC Group has been the preferred escrow provider for a number of registries and registrars worldwide, and is proud to be the only escrow provider with major operations in Europe and North America. NCC Group's offering is compliant with both US and EU law, and is designed to meet the needs of all registry operators worldwide.

About ARI Registry Services

ARI Registry Services (formerly AusRegistry International) is one of the top companies globally with the technology and expertise to activate, implement and manage new Top-Level Domains. Leveraging ten years of experience as a TLD registry operator, ARI Registry Services will provide new Top-Level Domain applicants with the same software and consulting services that currently drive the .au (Australia), the .ae (United Arab Emirates), the .qa (Qatar) and .om (Oman) country codes. Additionally, ARI Registry Services is the first TLD registry to operate non-Latin, country code Top-Level Domains and a global leader in the continued innovation and expansion of the Domain Name System.

Visit www.ariservices.com or find out more about the new Top-Level Domain program here: www.beyonddotcom.info

About NCC GROUP

NCC Group (LSE: NCC.L) NCC Group provides 45,000 organizations worldwide with IT assurance through escrow, verification, security & software testing, audit and website performance solutions.  NCC Group is the only data escrow provider able to draw on this market-leading technical expertise and ensure that your Registry Data Escrow is stored under the highest levels of security at all times.

Through these services NCC Group gives customers the confidence that their business critical information, systems, networks, websites & software are protected, secure, compliant and effective.

http://www.nccgroup.us/solutions/escrow/registry-data-escrow.aspx

Contacts

NCC Group

Tom Scopazzi

Registry Services Manager 

Ph: +1.408.441.4660
Email: tom.scopazzi@nccgroup.com

or

Michael Korjen 

Public Relations Manager 

ARI Registry Services 

Ph: +61-3-9866-3710 

Email: michael.korjen@ariservices.com

Media Contact: Tom Scopazzi of NCC Group, +1-408-441-4660, tom.scopazzi@nccgroup.com

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SOURCE NCC Group

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