A nice article from Sedo a couple weeks ago, in case you missed it. A great example of how & why country codes are an important part of the web.
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.DE Wins Second place in the TLD Race.
By Erich Mueller, Key Accounts Manager
At a glance, it is overwhelmingly clear the .COM top-level domain (TLD) has established itself as supreme ruler of all internet domain name extensions. .COM is not only a way to classify an internet domain name, it classifies an entire industry. “.COM bust” or “.COM boom” evoke images of goateed computer whizzes making or losing millions. While the .COM is the unparalleled leader, with nearly 54 million active incarnations on the World Wide Web as of July of 2006, there is a rising star in the domain name industry that many of us might not suspect: the .DE. .DE is the country-code top-level domain (ccTLD) that signifies Deutschland or Germany. Similar ccTLD’s are .CA for Canada, .BR for Brazil, and many others for every single country on the face of the earth.
The German ccTLD, .DE, has established itself as the most sought-after domain name extension, other than the .COM of course. With the ten-millionth domain just registered in July of 2006, the .DE domain name market has become a premium label to carry on the internet. With the world’s third largest economy and the European Union’s largest population, Germany has positioned itself to be a domain name industry giant. Internet usage in Germany is staggeringly widespread. Of Germany’s 82,422,299 people, over half have ready access to the internet. According to the Nielsen Net Ratings, Germany’s internet users averaged thirty-two visits per month to the World Wide Web in July of 2006. During that span of time, seventy-five different domains were visited and Germans were using their computers for around thirty hours per week. These figures are comparable to those of the United States, which has a much greater population and larger gross national income than their European counterparts. With technological centers already established in Munich (home to tech giant Siemens) and Cologne (headquarters of Sedo.com), Germany should not be overlooked as a place to establish an internet presence.
The German registry DENIC was established in the late 1980’s at the University of Dortmund. Up to that point, the German internet community was quite small and would remain so until 1999, when the one millionth .DE domain was registered. After this point, the number of .DE domains increased nearly exponentially, as internet usage and internet savvy has increased at the same break-neck pace as .DE domain name registration. The graph below, provided by DENIC, illustrates the incredible surge in registrations this type of domain name has experienced.
For those who make all, if not a significant portion of their income from internet domain names, the marketability of the German ccTLD cannot be overlooked. Sedo.com, the industry leader in the domain name aftermarket, contains more than five million domains that have been listed for sale by their owners. Of those five million, roughly 500,000 carry the .DE extension. That’s ten percent of the world’s largest collection of domain names for sale! No other ccTLD even comes close to rivaling the .DE domain name, as this graph from DENIC makes quite evident.
While .COM remains the gold standard for a domain name, .DE has quickly established itself as the silver of the marketplace. Domainers, those folks who make their living investing in domains, are sure to benefit from the surge in .DE domains. While the use of .DE is evident to these types of people, the average person should not dismiss establishing a presence in the German internet market. Many names that may already be taken in .COM form may be available in .DE. DENIC, unlike many other national registries, doesn’t require stringent residency criteria be met to allow an individual or company to register a domain name with a .DE extension. Some German registrars will even provide non-residents with a German address in order to allow a registration. In this way .DE has established itself beyond German borders and has truly become a premium TLD.
Sedo.com offers a clear picture of the marketability of .DE domains. Of the 500,000 .DE domains listed for sale at Sedo, some are fetching some pretty handsome prices when sold. For example, sportwetten.de, which translates to ‘sports betting’, sold for 81,200 Euros in April of 2003. kreuzfahrten.de (travel clubs) sold for 70,000 Euros in June of 2004. These types of prices are also seen in general German words that don’t carry the .DE extension. Apotheke and gesundheit.info (pharmacy and health respectively) sold for 30,000 Euros each. Overall, the German internet marketplace is a strong and viable option for those looking to expand their presence on the internet.
While Germany may continue to be more known for superior automobiles and large mugs of beer, the .DE ccTLD and German internet market in general are clearly established as industry leaders. With many registrars like 1&1, offering competitive pricing options for registration, .DE domains are an increasingly attractive way to establish an international presence online. With registrations increasing everyday and knowledge of marketability keeping pace, the desirable names which remain will quickly be saying auf wiedersehen!
Source = sedo.com news.
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Proving once again that German's love Dave Hasselhoff and Domains.
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.DE Wins Second place in the TLD Race.
By Erich Mueller, Key Accounts Manager
At a glance, it is overwhelmingly clear the .COM top-level domain (TLD) has established itself as supreme ruler of all internet domain name extensions. .COM is not only a way to classify an internet domain name, it classifies an entire industry. “.COM bust” or “.COM boom” evoke images of goateed computer whizzes making or losing millions. While the .COM is the unparalleled leader, with nearly 54 million active incarnations on the World Wide Web as of July of 2006, there is a rising star in the domain name industry that many of us might not suspect: the .DE. .DE is the country-code top-level domain (ccTLD) that signifies Deutschland or Germany. Similar ccTLD’s are .CA for Canada, .BR for Brazil, and many others for every single country on the face of the earth.
The German ccTLD, .DE, has established itself as the most sought-after domain name extension, other than the .COM of course. With the ten-millionth domain just registered in July of 2006, the .DE domain name market has become a premium label to carry on the internet. With the world’s third largest economy and the European Union’s largest population, Germany has positioned itself to be a domain name industry giant. Internet usage in Germany is staggeringly widespread. Of Germany’s 82,422,299 people, over half have ready access to the internet. According to the Nielsen Net Ratings, Germany’s internet users averaged thirty-two visits per month to the World Wide Web in July of 2006. During that span of time, seventy-five different domains were visited and Germans were using their computers for around thirty hours per week. These figures are comparable to those of the United States, which has a much greater population and larger gross national income than their European counterparts. With technological centers already established in Munich (home to tech giant Siemens) and Cologne (headquarters of Sedo.com), Germany should not be overlooked as a place to establish an internet presence.
The German registry DENIC was established in the late 1980’s at the University of Dortmund. Up to that point, the German internet community was quite small and would remain so until 1999, when the one millionth .DE domain was registered. After this point, the number of .DE domains increased nearly exponentially, as internet usage and internet savvy has increased at the same break-neck pace as .DE domain name registration. The graph below, provided by DENIC, illustrates the incredible surge in registrations this type of domain name has experienced.
For those who make all, if not a significant portion of their income from internet domain names, the marketability of the German ccTLD cannot be overlooked. Sedo.com, the industry leader in the domain name aftermarket, contains more than five million domains that have been listed for sale by their owners. Of those five million, roughly 500,000 carry the .DE extension. That’s ten percent of the world’s largest collection of domain names for sale! No other ccTLD even comes close to rivaling the .DE domain name, as this graph from DENIC makes quite evident.
While .COM remains the gold standard for a domain name, .DE has quickly established itself as the silver of the marketplace. Domainers, those folks who make their living investing in domains, are sure to benefit from the surge in .DE domains. While the use of .DE is evident to these types of people, the average person should not dismiss establishing a presence in the German internet market. Many names that may already be taken in .COM form may be available in .DE. DENIC, unlike many other national registries, doesn’t require stringent residency criteria be met to allow an individual or company to register a domain name with a .DE extension. Some German registrars will even provide non-residents with a German address in order to allow a registration. In this way .DE has established itself beyond German borders and has truly become a premium TLD.
Sedo.com offers a clear picture of the marketability of .DE domains. Of the 500,000 .DE domains listed for sale at Sedo, some are fetching some pretty handsome prices when sold. For example, sportwetten.de, which translates to ‘sports betting’, sold for 81,200 Euros in April of 2003. kreuzfahrten.de (travel clubs) sold for 70,000 Euros in June of 2004. These types of prices are also seen in general German words that don’t carry the .DE extension. Apotheke and gesundheit.info (pharmacy and health respectively) sold for 30,000 Euros each. Overall, the German internet marketplace is a strong and viable option for those looking to expand their presence on the internet.
While Germany may continue to be more known for superior automobiles and large mugs of beer, the .DE ccTLD and German internet market in general are clearly established as industry leaders. With many registrars like 1&1, offering competitive pricing options for registration, .DE domains are an increasingly attractive way to establish an international presence online. With registrations increasing everyday and knowledge of marketability keeping pace, the desirable names which remain will quickly be saying auf wiedersehen!
Source = sedo.com news.
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Proving once again that German's love Dave Hasselhoff and Domains.
