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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Hi Rad!. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'> A workshop I facilitated at ICANN last
week see <a href="http://nbo.icann.org/node/9097">http://nbo.icann.org/node/9097</a>
painted a different picture . economics is just one of the many
reasons for low uptake of local domains. indeed in the case of the
.za , when the tariffs came down there was no corresponding increase in
.za. the same for Australia. what participants restated is that
this is multifaceted. It involves stability and reliability , many of
ccTLDs especially in Africa have problems some as simple as lack of
power, staff on strike over pay , poor marketing, outreach etc. others have perception
problems - that gTLD is better by being international than
local domain ( local is not as good as international !!)and even more
importantly that the government can tamper with local domains etc . all
these perceptions where prevalent contribute to the low uptake of local domain
names compared to gTLDs. Those who have succeeded like .za is that they
are able to differentiate the product against gTLDs , add value by
leveraging on the other national endeavours , branding , trust and awareness
. this is what other ccTLD are up to .it is even more critical when new gTLD
are approved by ICANN. And btw why is kenya airways .com and not
.ke . just imagine the leverage it can provide ----<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Cheers <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Muriuki <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0cm 0cm 0cm'>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>
kictanet-bounces+mureithi=summitstrategies.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke
[mailto:kictanet-bounces+mureithi=summitstrategies.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] <b>On
Behalf Of </b>Rad!<br>
<b>Sent:</b> 16 March 2010 16:44<br>
<b>To:</b> mureithi@summitstrategies.co.ke<br>
<b>Cc:</b> KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [kictanet] South Africans choose dot ZA ahead of dot com,
market survey reveals<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Simple economics.<o:p></o:p></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>A .<a href="http://co.ke">co.ke</a> domain is about 40
dollars<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>A .com domain is about 15 dollars<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>A .za domain is 150 rand, about 20 dollars - <a
href="http://www.your.co.za/">http://www.your.co.za/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>5$ difference for South Africans vs 25$ for us? People
will invariably vote with their wallets<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>These are the sort of questions
KENIC should be answering.<o:p></o:p></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>On Tue, Mar 16, 2010 at 4:28 PM, michael Ouma <<a
href="mailto:benomnta@yahoo.com">benomnta@yahoo.com</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><br>
<br>
Hi all:<br>
<br>
i think this is interesting.<br>
<br>
How about our own “.ke,” how do we fare as relates to being
patriotic and proud of our ‘own’? Please read below:<br>
<br>
<br>
South Africans choose dot ZA ahead of dot com, market survey reveals<br>
<br>
(also follow via this link <a
href="http://mybroadband.co.za/news/internet/11791.html" target="_blank">http://mybroadband.co.za/news/internet/11791.html</a>)<br>
<br>
The recently completed “dot ZA market survey” of the dot ZA Domain
Name Authority (ZADNA) shows that South African businesses and people prefer to
use <a href="http://co.za" target="_blank">co.za</a> to dot com.<br>
<br>
This is the result of an intensive market survey which began in November 2009
and involved thousands of online and telephone interviews with .za domain name
holders (registrants), business people and non-profit entities. It was
concluded in late February this year.<br>
<br>
ZADNA intended to use the survey to better understand the dot ZA market and in
particular to ascertain what improvements were needed to make dot ZA more
attractive and so better serve the interests of South African organisations.<br>
<br>
According to Vika Mpisane, the GM of ZADNA, “the research results are
very important as they provide answers to most of the questions we and our
stakeholders had about improving the .za space. These answers clarify what
interventions ZADNA or its stakeholders need to make to improve ZADNA.”<br>
<br>
What was very noticeable from the results is that 83% of South African
businesses choose to use <a href="http://co.za" target="_blank">co.za</a> for
their online presence. This effectively means only around 15% of local
businesses confirmed having dot Com website names. When asked if they
considered having both <a href="http://co.za" target="_blank">co.za</a> and dot
Com names was necessary, 58% of businesses interviewed answered
“yes”.<br>
<br>
“This must be put into a correct perspective: the perceived need for
registering your product and brand names across multiple domains results from
the ever-increasing instances of trademark abuse online. To counter the
potential for such abuse, a growing number of local and international
businesses now register in as many domains as possible.”<br>
<br>
The survey also shows that dot Com still ranks better than the rest of other
dot ZA domains, such as <a href="http://org.za" target="_blank">org.za</a> and <a
href="http://gov.za" target="_blank">gov.za</a>. This is understandable because
the rest of dot ZA domains are more focused on a smaller communities and
sectors.<br>
<br>
Providing an example, Mpisane said: “The growth of <a href="http://gov.za"
target="_blank">gov.za</a> will always be limited as government and its
organisations cannot be expected to grow as radically as business
organisations, plus some government entities, such as parastatals and
municipalities, register their website names in <a href="http://co.za"
target="_blank">co.za</a> and dot Com, instead of gov.za.”<br>
<br>
What the survey results also show is that most South Africans are patriotic and
loyal to South Africa when they choose their online presence. Fifty percent of
the interviewees chose this as the main factor influencing their choice, while
affordability of dot ZA domain names came second.<br>
<br>
Pitting <a href="http://co.za" target="_blank">co.za</a> against dot Com, 83%
of the interviewees chose <a href="http://co.za" target="_blank">co.za</a>
ahead of dot Com as giving them superiority locally. Co.za also outscored dot
Com by a great margin when it comes to affordability of registration –
93% chose <a href="http://co.za" target="_blank">co.za</a> here – and 75%
percent felt that <a href="http://co.za" target="_blank">co.za</a> gives their
business most online credibility. Probably as expected, dot Com outscored <a
href="http://co.za" target="_blank">co.za</a> when it comes to global appeal.<br>
<br>
Most Internet service providers (ISPs) and registrants felt that the process of
registering dot ZA domain names should be made easier by automation.<br>
<br>
“The need for more automation can never be over-emphasised, and ZADNA
will answer this through the licensing of dot ZA domain registries (i.e.
operators of domain name databases) and registrars (i.e. ISPs registering
domain names), and the introduction of a central registry that can standardise
such automation across most .za domains.”<br>
<br>
The survey also tested South Africans’ awareness of the new generic (i.e.
non-country specific) domain names that ICANN, the entity managing the global
Internet domain name and IP numbering systems, is planning to introduce in due
course. Most South Africans are not aware of such plans, but ISPs showed substantial
awareness (at 44%), as expected because they are the entities that sell domain
name registration services.<br>
<br>
Interviewees were asked about introduction of new 2nd level domains such as
city or region-specific domains. When tested on this, respondents felt that
city-specific domains were not as attractive as they could because of the
potential for changing city and region names in South Africa. There was also
very little enthusiasm shown for registering names directly under dot ZA (i.e. <a
href="http://yourname.za" target="_blank">yourname.za</a> instead of <a
href="http://yourname.org.za" target="_blank">yourname.org.za</a>) and for
introducing <a href="http://biz.za" target="_blank">biz.za</a> to compete with <a
href="http://co.za" target="_blank">co.za</a>.<br>
<br>
“The feeling is that allowing registrations of names directly under dot
ZA will lead to a potential for abuse of trademarks and brands. It will lead to
an unnecessary cost as a result of putting measures in place to try and protect
known brands, something which sometimes may be quite a challenge to do”,
says Mpisane.<br>
<br>
What the results showed was that <a href="http://mobi.za" target="_blank">mobi.za</a>,
<a href="http://fam.za" target="_blank">fam.za</a> (for families) and <a
href="http://shop.za" target="_blank">shop.za</a> (for retailers) were seen as
potentially the most attractive additional options. Music.za also showed
support by some.<br>
<br>
In the light of attempts by some Western Internet companies to apply to ICANN
to open up new top level domains using local city names, such as dot Joburg,
dot Durban and dot Zulu, the respondents overwhelmingly felt that South Africa
did not need to have multiple identities online.<br>
<br>
“ZADNA is aware of frantic attempts by non-South African Internet
companies to abuse local city, heritage and tribal names as new top level
domains. This survey shows that not only are such attempts unfounded, but they
go right against the feeling of South Africans. South Africans are happy with
dot ZA as their online identity. Any attempts by non-South Africans to give us
multiple online identities, without support of the South African population,
are baseless and driven by greed and ambition for profit”, says Mpisane.<br>
<br>
///<br>
<br>
<br>
The recently completed “dot ZA market survey” of the dot ZA Domain
Name Authority (ZADNA) shows that South African businesses and people prefer to
use <a href="http://co.za" target="_blank">co.za</a> to dot com.<br>
<br>
This is the result of an intensive market survey which began in November 2009
and involved thousands of online and telephone interviews with .za domain name
holders (registrants), business people and non-profit entities. It was
concluded in late February this year.<br>
<br>
ZADNA intended to use the survey to better understand the dot ZA market and in
particular to ascertain what improvements were needed to make dot ZA more
attractive and so better serve the interests of South African organisations.<br>
<br>
According to Vika Mpisane, the GM of ZADNA, “the research results are
very important as they provide answers to most of the questions we and our
stakeholders had about improving the .za space. These answers clarify what
interventions ZADNA or its stakeholders need to make to improve ZADNA.”<br>
<br>
What was very noticeable from the results is that 83% of South African
businesses choose to use <a href="http://co.za" target="_blank">co.za</a> for
their online presence. This effectively means only around 15% of local
businesses confirmed having dot Com website names. When asked if they
considered having both <a href="http://co.za" target="_blank">co.za</a> and dot
Com names was necessary, 58% of businesses interviewed answered
“yes”.<br>
<br>
“This must be put into a correct perspective: the perceived need for
registering your product and brand names across multiple domains results from
the ever-increasing instances of trademark abuse online. To counter the
potential for such abuse, a growing number of local and international
businesses now register in as many domains as possible.”<br>
<br>
The survey also shows that dot Com still ranks better than the rest of other
dot ZA domains, such as <a href="http://org.za" target="_blank">org.za</a> and <a
href="http://gov.za" target="_blank">gov.za</a>. This is understandable because
the rest of dot ZA domains are more focused on a smaller communities and
sectors.<br>
<br>
Providing an example, Mpisane said: “The growth of <a href="http://gov.za"
target="_blank">gov.za</a> will always be limited as government and its
organisations cannot be expected to grow as radically as business
organisations, plus some government entities, such as parastatals and
municipalities, register their website names in <a href="http://co.za"
target="_blank">co.za</a> and dot Com, instead of gov.za.”<br>
<br>
What the survey results also show is that most South Africans are patriotic and
loyal to South Africa when they choose their online presence. Fifty percent of
the interviewees chose this as the main factor influencing their choice, while
affordability of dot ZA domain names came second.<br>
<br>
Pitting <a href="http://co.za" target="_blank">co.za</a> against dot Com, 83%
of the interviewees chose <a href="http://co.za" target="_blank">co.za</a>
ahead of dot Com as giving them superiority locally. Co.za also outscored dot
Com by a great margin when it comes to affordability of registration –
93% chose <a href="http://co.za" target="_blank">co.za</a> here – and 75%
percent felt that <a href="http://co.za" target="_blank">co.za</a> gives their
business most online credibility. Probably as expected, dot Com outscored <a
href="http://co.za" target="_blank">co.za</a> when it comes to global appeal.<br>
<br>
Most Internet service providers (ISPs) and registrants felt that the process of
registering dot ZA domain names should be made easier by automation.<br>
<br>
“The need for more automation can never be over-emphasised, and ZADNA
will answer this through the licensing of dot ZA domain registries (i.e.
operators of domain name databases) and registrars (i.e. ISPs registering
domain names), and the introduction of a central registry that can standardise
such automation across most .za domains.”<br>
<br>
The survey also tested South Africans’ awareness of the new generic (i.e.
non-country specific) domain names that ICANN, the entity managing the global
Internet domain name and IP numbering systems, is planning to introduce in due
course. Most South Africans are not aware of such plans, but ISPs showed
substantial awareness (at 44%), as expected because they are the entities that
sell domain name registration services.<br>
<br>
Interviewees were asked about introduction of new 2nd level domains such as
city or region-specific domains. When tested on this, respondents felt that
city-specific domains were not as attractive as they could because of the
potential for changing city and region names in South Africa. There was also
very little enthusiasm shown for registering names directly under dot ZA (i.e. <a
href="http://yourname.za" target="_blank">yourname.za</a> instead of <a
href="http://yourname.org.za" target="_blank">yourname.org.za</a>) and for
introducing <a href="http://biz.za" target="_blank">biz.za</a> to compete with <a
href="http://co.za" target="_blank">co.za</a>.<br>
<br>
“The feeling is that allowing registrations of names directly under dot
ZA will lead to a potential for abuse of trademarks and brands. It will lead to
an unnecessary cost as a result of putting measures in place to try and protect
known brands, something which sometimes may be quite a challenge to do”,
says Mpisane.<br>
<br>
What the results showed was that <a href="http://mobi.za" target="_blank">mobi.za</a>,
<a href="http://fam.za" target="_blank">fam.za</a> (for families) and <a
href="http://shop.za" target="_blank">shop.za</a> (for retailers) were seen as
potentially the most attractive additional options. Music.za also showed
support by some.<br>
<br>
In the light of attempts by some Western Internet companies to apply to ICANN
to open up new top level domains using local city names, such as dot Joburg,
dot Durban and dot Zulu, the respondents overwhelmingly felt that South Africa
did not need to have multiple identities online.<br>
<br>
“ZADNA is aware of frantic attempts by non-South African Internet
companies to abuse local city, heritage and tribal names as new top level
domains. This survey shows that not only are such attempts unfounded, but they
go right against the feeling of South Africans. South Africans are happy with
dot ZA as their online identity. Any attempts by non-South Africans to give us
multiple online identities, without support of the South African population,
are baseless and driven by greed and ambition for profit”, says Mpisane.<br>
<br>
///<br>
<br>
<br>
Michael Ouma<br>
Journalist<br>
Kenya<br>
Tel:+254-725-537823<br>
<br>
<br>
"Do not go where the path may lead, but go instead where there is no path
and leave a trail," - Ralph Waldo Emerson<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
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