New Zealand has confirmed the 500,000th active domain name within the .nz domain space has been registered.
The honour went to the URL drct.kiwi.nz and it represents a significant landmark for the nation in terms of its use of the internet. Further evidence of this can be seen with the decision earlier this year to approve the launch of the secondary level domain .kiwi.nz, which will increase market choice for businesses.
To recognize the milestone, the Disabilities Resource Centre Trust (DRCT) – the owner of the latest web address – will be presented with a NZ$1,000 ($827) cheque and an award on November 8th.
Commissioner Debbie Monahan of the Domain Name Commission (DNC) noted the online landscape of New Zealand is changing, as more companies and individuals realize the benefits associated with having unique and relevant domain names.
“This is a momentous occasion for New Zealand. Every day people choose .nz domain names. This is because people are proud to have a uniquely Kiwi web presence and because of the diligent efforts of domain registrars who actively promote .nz,” she added.
Bronwen Foxx, owner of the DRCT, said a web presence will prove vital for the organization as it allows them to provide services and information to their clients. She is confident the acquisition of drct.kiwi.nz will open up a wider market and increase opportunities.
In the past ten years, the .nz domain name space has recorded average annual growth of 38,280 and the DNC does not expect this upward trajectory to slow down anytime soon.
Ms Monahan observed that most firms still identify strongly with a local country domain and because of this they prefer the URLs over generic options such as .com, regardless of the latter’s worldwide appeal.
“What better way to demonstrate that New Zealand is your home than to register a new .kiwi.nz domain name,” she stated.