University bags first English-language .brand

ICANN has delegated the first English-language .brand generic top-level domain (gTLD) to Melbourne-based Monash University.

Registry operator ARI Registry Services, which helped to delegate .monash over the weekend, said that the gTLD will become a “core component of the university’s digital strategy”.

Although ARI states that .monash is the world’s first brand gTLD, some reports have indicated that Chinese Bank CITIC was delegated its .中信 ("Citic") domain at the same time as Monash.

Monash, founded in 1958, said it received the domain name after a “lengthy application process and detailed review of the university’s technical, operational and financial capabilities”.

Ian Tebbett, Monash University’s vice president of information and chief information officer, said that the gTLD reflects Monash’s commitment to embracing new technology and expansion in overseas education and research centres.

“The .monash global top-level domain name will allow the university to manage all of its domain names under the global identity of Monash,” he said.

“Greater control over our content and domains will strengthen our online presence and better represent Monash as a global institution … This is an innovation that will ultimately benefit users by allowing us to develop a new customer-focused university web presence,” he added.

Monash expects two websites under the .monash domain name to go live in the “near future”. It added that it would gradually phase .monash into its digital communications, but will continue to use  monash.edu.

ARI’s chief executive Adrian Kinderis noted that of eight .brand applications from the education sector, six were made by Australian universities.

He continued: “We’ll soon see the likes of .bond, .latrobe and .rmit join .monash when they delegate in the coming months. Open Universities Australia will round out the mix with their applications for .courses and .study.”