The ‘Uncover the Future of the Internet Conference 2012 is to be held in London next week and will include important debates and discussions on the future of domain names and the internet. The event will run from Jun 20, 2012 08:30 - Jun 22, 2012 18:00 and is timed perfectly to coincide with the announcement that Icann has published the full submission list for new internet address endings.
Applications for the new gTLDs include such endings as .ninja, .sex, .art, .news and .shop, to name but a few. Google has applied for "dozens” of the name strings such as .google, .and, .boo and .new, as well as plenty more including the .music domain which has reportedly been claimed by seven others, including Amazon.
The conference, also known as .Nxt, will "dig into the details of the applications and review the future of the internet, as well as discuss how the changes will impact the net and businesses.
"With the program finally launched and information on the applications released, it is now time to look what the future of the Internet will be. Our panels of world-leading domain experts, analysts, registries and registrars will be able to tell you,” the organisers said.
Discussion will not only centre on in-depth coverage of the gTLD expansion, but will also take a look at what is happening within the domain name industry and internet policy and governance.
US Commerce Secretary Larry Strickling said on the eve of the gTLD program launch: "If your application is successful, you will be operating a critical piece of the global Internet infrastructure. With this comes the responsibility of active participation in ICANN and other related multistakeholder processes such as the Internet Governance Forum (IGF)."
Representatives from Icann and the IGF will be present at the event, giving IT professionals and other interested parties the opportunity to discuss the issues "outside the busy confines of policy meetings”.
Educational conferences, spotlight sessions, industry panels and workshops will take place over the course of the event and an exhibit area will feature companies which are involved in the development of the domain name system.
Icann received a total of 1930 requests for the initial round of new names and has now invited those with any objections to put forward their complaint within the next seven months.
The first set of names is expected to begin rolling out in March next year with batches of 500 going live each time.
"The plan we have delivered is solid and fair," said Icann's chief executive, Rod Beckstrom. "It is our fundamental obligation to increase innovation and consumer choice."
Applicant for the new domains paid a £118,800 fee just to participate in the application process and can expect to pay a minimum of around £16,500 annual renewal charges to retain the suffix.