Businesses, charities, communities and other legal entities need to act fast to avoid missing out on the internet domain name revolution warns NetNames, the industry leading corporate domain name management specialist with major operations in Cambridge UK.

From Thursday (January 12), ICANN, the body that regulates internet naming conventions, will open its doors to applications to operate almost any characters after the ‘dot’, replacing conventional domain extensions such as .com, .org  or .net with almost anything from .dog, .london, .gaga and .football to .housesales or even .missiontomars.

Stéphane Van Gelder, head of domain operations at NetNames and chair of ICANN's Generic Names Supporting Organisation said: “The 12th January marks a momentous change in the internet domain name space but people need to get their applications in quickly to avoid missing the opportunity to own and operate this key piece of internet infrastructure for their own marketing, risk reduction and business benefit.”

The window to apply for new gTLD (generic Top Level Domain) extension is open between January 12 and April 12 and may be the only opportunity for several years, if at all.

“The clock is ticking and if you cannot commit to starting the process by the end of January you may have missed the boat to create and submit a successful application,” adds van Gelder.

The new .gTLD domain change will provide legitimate companies and interest groups with ownership and control of a key piece of internet infrastructure for their online brand strategy.

It also provides brand security and protection and prevents any third parties registering domain names under the extension; while increased online visibility can be used to create networks of interest, leveraging brand equity with suppliers, resellers and partner networks.

But this fundamental change in the internet namespace comes with a price tag. The application fee alone set by ICANN is $185,000 and the effort and time involved in preparing and defending the application through to a successful conclusion should not be underestimated.

“The successful applicant will be required to operate its internet extension for a minimum of 10 years but for many companies and organisations, the investment costs will be a very small price to pay compared to the business benefits gained over this period,” says Van Gelder.

While there are plenty of companies offering to write gTLD applications it is important to select one that has the expertise, financial resources and networks necessary not only to create a successful application but also operate the internet naming infrastructure for the next 10 years. NetNames has set up a special www.gtld.com web site for more information and its domain name experts will provide impartial and experienced advice.

• PHOTOGRAPH SHOWS: Stéphane Van Gelder