NASK

Industry:	Internet & Communications Technology
Founded:	1991
Headquarters:	ul. Wąwozowa 18 02-796 Warszawa
Country:	Poland
Website:	nask.pl dns.pl
Key People
Michał Chrzanowski, Director Ewa Niewiadomska-Szynkiewicz, Deputy Research Director

NASK is a Research and Academic Institute for Computer Network providing modern ICT solutions in for Polish businesses, the government, and academia. It also acts as Poland's national registry for the .pl ccTLD. It was foudned in 1991.

NASK is the official representative of Poland at CERT, FIRST, RIPE, CENTR, ICANN's ccNSO, and TERENA.

As of 2011, more than 99.9% of all .pl domain name registrations were done by NASK Registrars, called Partners. Partners deliver service to more than 98% of all .pl domain names Registrants, and below 2% of Registrants (still decreasing) have direct service.

The NASK-maintained .pl registry is a fully automated system based on EPP. Full automation and Registrars’ access to the central database are the system’s core features, which enable over 150 Partner companies (Registrars) to enter the market with an independent offer. From the end of September 2009 pre-paid functionality has been implemented.

In addition to the registration of domain names, NASK has introduced services supporting the domain Aftermarket, such as domain tasting and a waiting list service. Domain tasting was introduced in 2007 and is a service that allows the registration of a domain name for 14 days (the normal period is 1 year up to 10 years) for a very small price. The waiting list service provides the ability to option a domain name that is already registered. The option-holder has the privilege to be the first in line for the registration of a domain name, if the current Registrant cancels renewal or deletes this domain name for any reason. The .pl registry also publishes a Top 100 of NXdomains list and list of expired domains. Whois information is detailed (e.g. registration, modification, expiration dates) and DNS updates are dynamic.

History

Below is a timeline of significant events from the beginnings of NASK to present.

• 1991ː Created as a Coordination Team of Scientific and Computer Network at the University of Warsaw. Professor Thomas Hofmokl serves as the first director while Chris Heller, Raphael Pietrak and Andrrzej Zienkiewicz are technical directors of the research institute. NASK becomes the ISP in Poland.
• 1992ː The first satellite link to Sweden is set up at 38,400 bps and connects to the world via Denmark at 9600 bps.
• 1993ː Hoza, the first Polish server, goes online.
• 1994ː Expands its WAN and starts building WARMAN,the first Warsaw Metropolitan Area Network.
• 1995ː WARMAN becomes operational in 1995 and is the first wide area network technology in the FR (Frame Relay) - FR nodes were installed at the main points of the WAN.
• 1997ː Enters the market to build corporate networks.
• 1998ː Launches its first global connection at 155 mbps
• 1999ː Launches its IP transit service in partnership with Telia Net, an international telecommunications corporation.
• 2001ː Ranks first in the Teleinfo 500-Polish ICT market, surpassing the major internet providers in Poland.
• 2002ː Acquires VPN Service Sp. Ltd.
• 2003ː Becomes the first registry in Europe to offer IDN domain names.
• 2004ː Obtains the ISO certification for its entire process in registering and maintaining domains. It also opens its colocation and hosting center.
• 2005ː Launches its NIFC hotline dedicated to combat illegal contents in the Internet, and launched the DNS server for the .pl domain in IPv6. It also installed its first radio access network.
• 2006ː Receives its accreditation from ICANN as the registry for the .pl ccTLD.
• 2007ː Completes the technical implementation of the e-świętokrzyskie radio network construction. Poland's first network of wireless Internet connectivity becomes operational using new technologies operating in radio frequencies called WiMAXowymi. In addition, the eighteen radio transmitters built by NASK for the nationwide broadband radio network became operational.
• 2008ː Launches a project to promote the safe use of Internet among young users, dubbed Safer Internet.pl, in 2008.
• May 2008ː The number of registered .pl domain names exceeds 1 million.
• 2009ː Poland CERT and CERT-Hungary, together with the Internet Security Centre of the University of Gelsenkirchen, implements the FISHA project under the European Commission. Its main objective is to develop the European Information Sharing and Alerting System, a pan-European exchange and access to information on computer security able to prepare against the dangers on the Internet.
• 2010ː NASK and ABW win in the competition "Now Poland", in the "Innovation" category for its system of detection and early warning information network IT security administration of the ARAKIS-GO.
• January 2011ː Achieves 2 million domain names.

Solutions

NASK solutions centers on design, construction and maintenance of integrated transmission systems. The research institute builds corporate networks at national and international levels, and offers broadband Internet access throughout Poland.It also offers telephone, collocation and hosting services, as well as video streaming. NASK also provides network security.

The research institute also offers access to the network using radio frequency technology and runs base stations in major Polish cities like Warsaw, Gdansk, Gdynia, Katowice, Krakow, Poznan and Wroclaw.

Membership

NASK is an active member of different organizations such as FIRST, CENTR, TERENA, and RIPE. The research institute is also active in numerous EU projects related to Internet technologies and security.

NASK and ICANN

As Poland's national registry, the research institute is active in coordinating and participating in the different activities and meetings conducted by ICANN.

External links

• NASK Main Website
• NASK - .PL Registry
• .PL Registry essentials
• Statistics
• Conference in 2008: "International Domain Name Market Conference"
• Conference in 2009: "Future Business Trends in the Domain Industry"

International Standards Organization