Arto Isokoski

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Country: Finland
Email: arto.isokoski [at] internetregistry.info
LinkedIn: LinkedInIcon.png   [Arto Isokoski Arto Isokoski]
Twitter: TwitterIcon.png   @tldregistry

Arto Isokoski is the Co-Founder and CEO of TLD Registry, the world’s leading internet domain name registry that administers two Chinese IDNs, Dot Chinese Online (.在线) and Dot Chinese Website (.中文网).

Arto is a Finnish entrepreneur well-known in the internet and mobile technology sectors. He is a partner in directory assistance innovator Suomen 16100 Ltd., and owner of Apila Media, a provider of mobile, internet and consulting related services.

Background

Arto received an MA from Oulun yliopisto (The University of Oulu) in Finland, in 2002. Prior to founding TLD Registry, Arto held a variety of business development and project management roles at innovative technology and media companies in Finland, including Finnet Media, Jutel, and Tecono. He was also a senior R&D engineer at Nokia for over five years.

Career

In 2008, Isokoski founded TLD Registry in Finland. After hearing about ICANN’s announcement to implement the new gTLD program, Isokoski partnered with Jarno Majamäki and angel investment group Vision+ Fund, and began research on China’s internet domain name market. After several years of research, Dot Chinese Online and Dot Chinese Website were selected as the primary strings, and applications were submitted to ICANN.

In 2013, Isokoski signed a Formal Registry Agreement with ICANN for Dot Chinese Website (.中文网) and Dot Chinese Online (.在线). Isokoski noted that “for the first time since China joined the internet in 1994, Chinese netizens will type or handwrite URLs in all simplified or traditional Chinese characters using the natural terms they employ for their web searches: ‘.online (.在线)’ and ‘.Chinese language website (.中文网)’.”[1]

Isokoski has attended several domain name and internet industry related conferences, conventions, and road shows over the course of his six-year tenure as TLD Registry’s CEO. Some important events attended include ICANN 46 in Beijing, where TLD Registry formally announced the go-live for Dot Chinese Online and Dot Chinese Website, TLD Registry’s Landrush and auction events in Macau, China, and other ICANN meetings in London, Buenos Aires, Singapore, and Los Angeles.

References

  1. {Finnish Prime Minister and TLD Registry Chairman announce successful contracting with ICANN for Dot Chinese Online & Dot Chinese Website TLDs|url=http://www.marketwatch.com/story/finnish-prime-minister-and-tld-registry-chairman-announce-successful-contracting-with-icann-for-dot-chinese-online-dot-chinese-website-tlds-2013-09-10%7Caccessdate=11 June 2014}