Web Host and Domain Name Provider Hostway Recommends .Pro as Registration Rules Relaxed
September 9, 2008 – (HOSTSEARCH.COM) – Web host and domain name provider Hostway (http://www.hostway.co.uk/) is recommending professionals adopt .Pro domains, as rules for the domain extension have been relaxed, it was reported recently. Whereas previously use of the domain extension was limited to medical, legal, accounting and engineering professionals with strict enforcement of this rule, ICANN has announced that all professional individuals and companies can now register .Pro domains (e.g. http://www.yourname.pro).
“When the domain name was launched in 2004, it was limited to the medical, legal, accounting and engineering professions,” said Hostway’s Product Manager, Mr. Thomas Herbert. “The companies or individuals had to be licensed in the United States, Canada, Germany or the United Kingdom and rigorous checks were required to ensure that professionals were properly accredited. Furthermore, these groups could only register a Second Level name (mydomain.pro) once they had already successfully registered a Third Level name (e.g mydomain.law.pro for certified Lawyers, or mydomain.med.pro for Doctors and Physicians). A lot of that has changed now - all professionals are now eligible for a standard second level .Pro name.”
According to Hostway, the .Pro domain name allows professionals to distinguish their website or online identity from any other kind of domain name, and offers an interesting alternative to the now rather stock .com and .co.uk names. “.Pro still feels untapped as an address I believe, and remains a fresh, unique proposition for professionals looking to stand out from the crowd,” added Mr. Herbert.
.Pro registration began September 8, 2008 and registrants must still “self-certify” their eligibility by supplying their “professional information” within 44 days of placing their orders. The previously restrictive price has now been reduced to less than $US20 and Hostway is currently running a .Pro promotional with favorable pricing that will last until January 1, 2010.
Hostway Corporation was founded in 1998 and bills itself as “one of the three largest web hosting companies in the world with a direct presence in 11 countries, 15 worldwide operation centers, and more than 700 employees”. The company caters to a global customer base with a range of services including Windows and Linux based shared hosting plans.
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