Status: Withdrawn
Manager: Intel Corporation
Type: Brand TLD

More information:

.ultrabook was a Brand TLD that was applied for by Intel Corporation in ICANN's New gTLD Program.[1] The application was withdrawn prior to delegation.[2]

Application Details

The following is excerpted from the applicant's response to question #18:

"Intel Corporation (“Intel”) is the world’s largest semiconductor chip maker, based on revenue. Intel develops advanced integrated digital technology, primarily integrated circuits (semiconductor chips etched with interconnected electronic switches), for industries such as computing and communications. In addition, Intel also develops computing platforms designed to provide optimized solutions. Intelʹs goal is to be the preeminent computing solutions company powering the worldwide digital economy. Intel is seeking to transform from a company with a primary focus on the design and manufacture of semiconductor chips for PCs and servers, to a computing company that delivers complete solutions in the form of hardware and software platforms and supporting services.

Intel’s products are sold and purchased by customers worldwide, and Intel content is accessible in multiple TLDs, including the .COM gTLD and .CN, .RU, NL, IT, and .JP ccTLDs.

Through a unified corporate approach, Intel intends to submit two gTLD applications for the strings .INTEL and .ULTRABOOK.

The Ultrabook™ brand has been a significant part of the initiative to achieve the goal stated above. These new devices are powered by second-generation Intel® Core™ processors, and deliver a highly responsive and secure mobile computing experience in a thin, light, and elegant design at mainstream prices. Intel’s vision is to enable a new user experience by accelerating a new class of mobile computers. Intel Capital, the company’s global investment organization, has already created a “$300 Million Ultrabook Fund” to help drive innovation in this category of devices. Intel expects Ultrabook systems to make up 40% of the consumer laptop market segment by the end of 2012.

The intended future mission and purpose of the .ULTRABOOK gTLD is to serve as a trusted, hierarchical, and intuitive namespace provided by Intel and possibly its subsidiaries and affiliates for Intel brand customers and other consumers to aid in achieving the goal stated above by helping drive the Ultrabook initiative. However, Intel is primarily filing this application in ICANN’s first gTLD application round for precautionary reasons given the uncertainty regarding when ICANN will be opening a second round. Therefore, although Intel is committed to moving forward with the .ULTRABOOK gTLD application, at the time of filing this application, there has not been enough time, and currently there is not enough market information available, to fully analyze and evaluate all potential use case options.

Although ICANN has not specifically recognized a .BRAND gTLD specification in the current version of the Applicant Guidebook, it is widely anticipated within the brand-owner community that this will become a specialty subset of the new gTLDs. The .ULTRABOOK gTLD is planned as a .BRAND gTLD, with the goal of protecting Intel’s online presence and identity, expanding its marketing and promotion efforts, providing a secure channel for online products and services, and offering a platform through which to consolidate many of the intellectual property activities of Intel.

Intel intends to initially limit registration and use of domain names within the .ULTRABOOK gTLD to Intel and possibly its qualified subsidiaries and affiliates. This initial limited use will allow Intel to establish its operations and achieve full sustainability. This limited distribution coupled with the other requirements set forth in Specification 9 of the template Registry Agreement is intended to exempt Intel from its annual Code of Conduct Compliance requirements."[3]

References