.pro
 | |
| Industry: | TLD |
| Founded: | 2004 |
| Headquarters: | Chicago, Illinois |
| Country: | USA |
| Website: | http://www.registry.pro |
| Key People | |
| Lucas Roh, CEO Catherine Sigmar, President | |
[edit]
.pro is a generic top level domain (gTLD) entered in the internet Domain Names System (DNS) root zone. Registry Pro, a wholly- owned subsidiary of Hostway Corporation, manages and operates .pro domain name exclusively for professionals.[1]
History[edit | edit source]
The .pro TLD is 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 the six new TLDs which include .biz, .info, .name, .museum, .coop, and .aero. Registry pro was the proponent in creating the .pro, an unsponsored TLD wherein registration of domain names is restricted to credible individuals and entities providing professional services such as accountants, doctors, engineers and lawyers.[2]
On May 2002, Icann approved Registry Pro's and designated the organization to manage and operate the .pro TLD.[3] .Pro TLD was officially launched in June 2004.
Expansion[edit | edit source]
On September 2004, .Pro Registry announced the proposed expansion of domain name registration to the .pro TLD which will soon allow other professionals in different fields to register their domains which include: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 (pr.pro).[4]
ICANN approved the proposal of Registry Pro to offer second second level .pro domain names on August 2004. Subsequently during the same year, .pro TLD expanded its operation and started to offering domain name registration to professionals in Canada on September 27, in United Kingdom and Germany on October 4 and 11 respectively.
On September 2008, ICANN unanimously approved the expansion of .pro TLD extending the eligibility of professionals who can register to the domain name. Based on the new terms set by ICANN, .pro TLD will be available to any professionals or entities with credentials from a certifying governmental authorities anywhere in the world. The expansion widens the market for the .pro domain while maintaining the exclusive nature of the TLD to professionals.[5]