.cloud

Status:	Proposed
Type:	Generic TLD
Category:	Technology
More information:

.cloud is a proposed TLD in ICANN's New gTLD Program.

Current Applicants

1. CloudNames, a Norwegian TLD consultancy and management services provider. CloudNames plans to provide a dedicated identity and online space for companies and organizations engaged in offering cloud-based services through the .cloud string. The company plans to operate the TLD as an open TLD with unrestricted registration. CloudNames has partnered with Afilias to provide back-end registry solutions to ensure that the .cloud domain name space is secured and that new DNSSEC security protocols will be implemented.
2. Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd., it is one of 68 applications that the company has filed for on its own behalf. This applicant submitted a Public Interest Commitment, which can be downloaded here.
3. Symantec Corporation, the company provides security, storage and systems management solutions for its clients worldwide. Fair Winds Partners help the company submit its application with ICANN. Phil Lodico, Managing Partner of Fair Winds Partners is the contact person. Cloud Industry Forum Limited filed a Community Objection against this application.
4. Amazon, the company filed for the 76 domain name strings including .cloud through its office in Luxembourg. Cloud Industry Forum Limited filed a Community Objection against this application.
5. ARUBA S.p.A., the company is based in Italy and Stefano Cecconi is the contact person.
6. Donuts (Dash Cedar, LLC), a start-up registry operator that applied for 307 new gTLDs. This applicant submitted a Public Interest Commitment, which can be downloaded here.
7. Google (Charleston Road Registry Inc.), has applied for 101 TLDs. Sarah Falvey, Senior Policy Analyst of Google is the main contact person in the application. Cloud Industry Forum Limited filed a Community Objection against this application.

Community Objections

Cloud Industry Forum Limited filed a Community Objection against three of the applications: Symantec, Amazon, and Google. All three objections failed and the applications are able to proceed after the panelist at the ICC concluded that the "cloud community" did not constitute a clearly delineated community.

GAC Early Warnings

The applications from Symantec, Amazon, and Google were each issued a GAC Early Warning from the representative of Australia and GAC Chair, Heather Dryden. The warning system is noted as a strong recommendation on behalf of national governments to the ICANN Board that a given TLD application should be denied as it stands. Applicants are encouraged to work with objecting GAC members.

The warning states that the applicant is "seeking exclusive access to a common generic string .. that relates to a broad market sector," which Ms. Dryden notes could have unintended consequences and a negative impact on competition.

TLDH & $15mm Auction Funding

On February 26 2013, Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd. announced that it had entered into a funding agreement worth $15 million to be used in the case of auction for a specific unnamed TLD. The investor will not receive ownership of the TLD but a share of future revenues. TLDH did not name the TLD that the funds are directed for, and it is in 11 head to head contentions and 12 featuring more than one contender.

Top-Level Domain

Governmental Advisory Committee. Considers and provides advice on the activities of ICANN as they relate to concerns of governments, particularly matters where there may be an interaction between ICANN's policies and various laws and international agreements or where they may affect public policy issues (ICANN Bylaws).