.pro

Status:	Active
country:	International
Manager:	Afilias
Registry Provider:	Afilias
Date Implemented:	June, 2004
Type:	gTLD
More information:

.pro is a generic top level domain (gTLD) in the Domain Names System (DNS) root zone. In January, 2012, Afilias became the registry manager for the domain, after having acquired the previous manager, RegistryPro, formerly a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Hostway Corporation.

The .pro TLD is meant for use by professionals.

History

In June 2004, .pro TLD became the seventh new TLD approved by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to be included in the DNS root zone, in addition to .biz, .info, .name, .museum, .coop, and .aero. Registry.pro was the main proponent in creating .pro, an unsponsored TLD restricted to registration by credible individuals and entities providing professional services, such as accountants, doctors, engineers and lawyers.

On May 2002, ICANN approved RegistryPro's application and designated the organization to manage and operate .pro. The TLD was officially launched in June 2004.

Expansion

In August 2004, ICANN approved the proposal for Registry.pro to offer second level .pro domains. Subsequently, .pro expanded its operations and began offering registration to professionals in Canada on September 27, in the United Kingdom on October 4, and in Germany on October 11 of that year.

In September 2004, RegistryPro announced a proposed expansion for .pro that would allow registration to the following types of professionals: Architects (arc.pro), Certified Financial Analysts (cfa.pro), Certified Financial Planners (cfp.pro), Dentists (dds.pro), Engineers (eng.pro), Nutritionists (ntr.pro), Optometrists (opt.pro), Pharmacists (pha.pro), Physician Assistants (pa.pro), Podiatrists (pod.pro), Psychologists (psy.pro), Educators (ed.pro), Veterinarians (vet.pro), Physical Therapists (pt.pro), and Public Relations professionals (pr.pro).

On September 2008, ICANN unanimously approved the above .pro expansion. Based on the new terms set by ICANN, .pro will be available to any professional or entity with credentials from a certifying governmental authority anywhere in the world. The expansion widens the market for the .pro domain while maintaining the exclusive nature of the TLD to professionals.

.pro TLD Requirements

Any individual or entity who wishes to register a .pro domain name must meet the following requirements:

• Provider of professional services
• Admitted to or licensed by a government certification body or jurisdictional licensing entity recognized by a governmental body that regularly verifies the accuracy of its data.
• In good standing with the licensing authority
• Able to provide information regarding their professional eligibility such as: identification, contact information, license number, or any information relevant to the specific profession.

.pro Statistics

There are 45 registrars offering the .pro TLD and on four has more than 10,000 domain names, EnCirca has the largest with 13,000 domain names under its sponsorship. The most recent total number of domain names under the .pro registry was 117,000. Forty three thousand of the domain names were registered by a shell company with US zip codes in 2008. These domain names are part of the Zip.pro service, which helps consumers find any establishment anywhere in the United States.

Top-Level Domain