February 21, 2008

.Asia Domain Enters Landrush Phase

GMO Internet Inc.

Tokyo – February 21, 2008 -- GMO Internet official ICANN*1 domain registrar, onamae.com today begins accepting landrush (general advance application) registrations for the .asia domain.
*1 ICANN (The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers): American non-profit organization responsible for the global management of Internet domain names and IP addresses. It also holds the authority to designate official domain registration companies.

The .Asia Domain

The .asia domain is a new sponsored top level domain (sTLD*2) for the Asia Pacific area. The word Asia as a domain is a smart choice for businesses in the Asia Pacific region and for companies with plans to enter the Asia Pacific market. Businesses can use the name to effectively build business value and brand value throughout the region. Any individual or company (organization etc.) located in the area can register a .asia domain.

The prior registration phase (the sunrise phase), was only open to owners of trademarks and registered entity names, despite this restriction we received over 30,000 applications. Once again this confirms that the .asia domain is gaining recognition worldwide.

*2 Sponsored top level domain (sTLD): A domain that is established and managed by an independent sponsor organization. The NIC (Network Information Center) is the main sponsor of the .asia domain, it is the organization that manages ccTLD (country code top level domains) and IP addresses for countries in the Asia Pacific industry.

Landrush (General Advance Application)

During the landrush period general applications are accepted for .asia domains, no trademark or other registration is required. The process does not work on a first-come-first-served basis, but auctions off domains that receive more than one application during landrush.

The registration is awarded to the highest bidder. When only one application is received for a domain, the applicant will be able to register the domain at the end of the period. This is an opportunity to register valuable domain names (common words, nouns, short domain names, etc.) before regular first-come-first-served (pre) application begins.

Outline

Landrush Phase	February 21 to March 12, 2008
Description	Priority .asia domain registration before regular registration opens
Eligibility	Any individual or business (organization etc.) in the Asia Pacific region
Details	・No supporting claim is required (trademark ownership, registered entity etc.) to apply for a domain name ・An auction will be held when multiple applications are received for one domain ・Registrations are available for between 2-10 years

Registration Fees

2 years	3 years	5 years	10 years
7,140 yen (7,497 yen inc. tax)	9,980 yen (10,497 yen inc. tax)	15,600 yen (16,380 yen inc. tax)	28,500 yen (29,925 yen inc. tax)

* The above fees are incurred only after the successful applicant has been decided.

* In the case a domain name goes to auction, additional auction expenses may be incurred.

How to Apply for a .Asia Domain

1. Go to the onamae.com site and check the availability of the domain name you would like to register.

2. If a circle appears next to the .asia domain in your search results, click on the domain you would like to register and click on Register this Domain

3. Complete the application and submit the application fee

4. Your .asia domain registration application is now complete

5. The application is screened by the registry

6. The closing date of the phase is reached.

7. An auction is held (where necessary)

8. Submit the registration payment

9. Your .asia domain registration is now complete

.Asia Schedule

Phase	Registration Period (tentative)	Details
Landrush (current phase)	February 21 - March 12	(see above)
Regular (Pre) Registration (priority registration)	March 12 - March 25	Priority application is given to domain names requested in advance at the opening of the Regular (Pre) Registration period
Regular (Pre) Registration	March 26 -	First-come-first-served application period

*The above registration period is the scheduled registration period for onamae.com

Regular (Pre) Registration Priority Registration

Onamae.com collects customer details including desired domain in advance, priority application will take place at the opening of Regular (Pre) Registration. Immediately after the first-come-first-served Regular (Pre) Registration phase opens there will be registration applications being processed all over the world. This means that a domain name that is available at the time of an availability search may end up being registered elsewhere in the time it takes the applicant to complete the registration form. Regular (Pre) Registration Priority Application reduces the risk of this occurring.

*Please be aware that if an application for the same domain name was received during the landrush phase, that application will receive priority.

Onamae.com Service Features

A fast registration service that provides a vast range of domains to meet customer demands and expectation.
An official domain registrar that can provide a wealth of website, mail magazine and other domain related information.
In addition to the domain registration service we also provide the onamae.com Broad Server web hosting service for seamless implementation from domain registration to application.

Onamae.com continues to provide services that fulfill customer demands and expectations at the same time as aiming to inspire our customers and make them smile.

Related Links (All links are to Japanese language sites unless otherwise indicated)

onamae.com: http://www.onamae.com/

.asia domain: http://www.onamae.com/service/asia/

Media Inquiries

GMO Internet Inc.

Group PR Team: E-mail: [email protected]

The GMO Internet Group

The GMO Internet Group is a leading force in the Internet industry offering one of the most comprehensive ranges of Internet services in Japan. We hold top domestic market shares in domain registration, web hosting and payment processing and we provide a host of other services including e-commerce solutions and Internet advertising to individual and corporate customers. Striving to redefine the industry and foster a vibrant Internet culture, the GMO Internet Group is continuously working to inspire enthusiasm in our customers and put smiles on their faces.

GMO Internet Inc.

Company Name	GMO Internet Inc. http://www.gmo.jp/en (TSE First Section Code: 9449)
Address	Cerulean Tower, 26-1 Sakuragaokacho, Shibuya ku, Tokyo, JAPAN
CEO	Masatoshi Kumagai
Business Description	- Internet Use Support (Infrastructure) - Internet Advertising Support (Media)
Capital	12,631,970,000 yen

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