ICANN :China’s 21Vianet Contributes to Stable and Resilient Internet with L-Root Instance
A new instance of L-Root has been installed in China, increasing the Domain Name System’s (DNS) overall fault tolerance and its resilience against certain types of cyber threats, such as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks.
The launch of the server node is a joint operation between ICANN and China’s 21Vianet Group, Inc (NASDAQ:VNET). As China’s largest carrier-neutral Internet data center with more than 80 data centers in over 40 cities in China, 21Vianet supplied the equipment necessary for the installation of the new L-Root node.
“We have selected Beijing as the initial site as Beijing is one of the largest Chinese cities, with one of the highest Internet penetration rates in the country,” said Frank Meng, President of 21Vianet Group, Inc (NASDAQ:VNET). “But we will deploy in other major cities very shortly as part of our DNS Open Network program”. DNS Open Network is a program by 21Vianet to build a trusted and robust DNS infrastructure that provide open peering with any ISPs and ICPs in China.
This cooperation between both organizations is an effort to provide security, stability and resiliency to Chinese Internet users and reduce the response time they experience when making Domain Name System (DNS) queries.
“The stability and resiliency of the global Internet continues to be strengthened with 21Vianet installation of the L-Root instances,” said ICANN President and CEO Fadi Chehadé.
“ICANN is working with other Chinese partners to bring in more L-Root instances into the country,” said Kuek Yu-Chuang, ICANN’s Vice President and Managing Director for ICANN Asia Pacific Hub.
There are 13 “root,” or fully authoritative, DNS servers, identified by alphabetic letters A through M — the “L” root being one. Computers locate one another on a network by using numeric addresses, while humans find it easier to use and remember names (for instance, users typically remember the domain name “ICANN.org” more easily than the Internet Protocol address, 2620:0:2d0:200::7). The Domain Name System (DNS) matches domain names with numeric addresses, in much the same way a phone book matches names to phone numbers.
Spreading root information out geographically by duplicating the root servers leads to a resilient, dispersed system that cannot be taken offline by a problem at any single instance of a given DNS root server.
This announcement was sourced from :
https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2014-07-24-en
Verisign Healthy Financials Show .COM/.NET Demand Slowing
Registrations of new .com and .net domain names increased by 420,000 net during the second quarter, meaning there were 128.9 million active domain names across both TLDs, an increase of 3.7 percent, Verisign Registry Services reported in their results for the second quarter of 2014 [pdf]. This compares to a 4.9 percent increase for the same period 12 months ago.
In the second quarter, Verisign processed 8.5 million new domain name registrations for .com and .net as compared to 8.7 million for the same period in 2013 and 8.4 million for the same period in 2012. It’s possible the decline could be attributed to the slowly declining number of available .com and .net domains, increased competition from the slew of new gTLDs available and/or the global economy.
There was also a decline in the final .com and .net renewal rates. For the first quarter of 2014 the renewal rate was 72.6 percent compared with 73.2 percent for the same quarter in 2013. Renewal rates are not fully measurable until 45 days after the end of the quarter.
There is also an increase in the annual fee for a .net domain coming, with the fee paid by registrars to Verisign increasing from $6.18 to $6.79, effective 1 February, 2015, as per Verisign’s agreement with ICANN.
“Our results are in keeping with our goal of creating long-term shareholder value by providing secure and stable critical internet infrastructure services and efficiently managing the business. Additionally, in keeping with our commitment to return value to our shareholders, we repurchased $300 million of Verisign shares during the quarter,” commented Jim Bidzos, executive chairman, president and chief executive officer.
Financially things appear to be in good health, although there was a decline in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as well as cash flow.
In second quarter GAAP financial results, revenue of $250 million was reported for the second quarter of 2014, up 4.6 percent from the same quarter in 2013. Verisign reported net income of $100 million and diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.71 for the second quarter of 2014, compared to net income of $87 million and diluted EPS of $0.55 in the same quarter in 2013. The operating margin was 57.2 percent for the second quarter of 2014 compared to 55.2 percent for the same quarter in 2013.
In Non-GAAP Financial Results Verisign reported, on a non-GAAP basis, net income of $96 million and diluted EPS of $0.68 for the second quarter of 2014, compared to net income of $92 million and diluted EPS of $0.58 for the same quarter in 2013.
Verisign ended the second quarter with cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $1.5 billion, a decrease of $178 million as compared with year-end 2013.
Cash flow from operations was $121 million for the second quarter compared with $147 million for the same quarter in 2013.
Sedo Reports $1 Million in Domain Name Sales! GCA.com Topped Sedo’s Weekly Sales List at $90,000
GCA.com topped Sedo’s weekly sales list at $90,000.Highlights also include Open.tv,leading the ccTLD category at $25,000 and Matrix.org,leading the “Other” category at $7,999.
Other notable domain name sales include :
.COM
logics.com 50000 USD
pdn.com 27900 USD
vivamedia.com 10000 GBP
ghealth.com 10000 USD
dochub.com 9985 USD
thefinalwhistle.com 7500 USD
socialcon.com 7000 USD
clipsondemand.com 6988 USD
klara.com 6000 EUR
baitna.com 5800 USD
localvibe.com 5500 USD
inclass.com 5500 USD
umbf.com 5000 USD
tacovilla.com 5000 USD
seocial.com 5000 USD
dimension4.com 4999 EUR
dialoq.com 4600 USD
mymodo.com 4500 USD
gymnasiet.com 4000 USD
aistone.com 4000 USD
bbvm.com 4000 USD
itlworld.com 3750 EUR
sudameris.com 3333 GBP
wjax.com 3140 USD
whitefield.com 3125 USD
ecom360.com 3000 USD
expandhorizons.com 3000 USD
ccTLD
online-autoboerse.de 15000 EUR
weblink.com.br 7000 USD
football.de 6100 EUR
euroshopping.ch 5000 EUR
thebook.us 5000 USD
cx.cc 4900 USD
onecard.no 4740 EUR
mr.cc 3100 USD
htl.li 2651 EUR
eathealthy.de 2200 EUR
e-schuhe.de 2100 EUR
qbo.eu 1999 EUR
babyalarm.de 1750 EUR
eureimport.de 1700 EUR
teaser.co 1625 USD
nail.tv 1500 USD
tutu.tv 1500 USD
fitnessworld.de 1500 EUR
investor-news.de 1500 EUR
ross.ch 1480 EUR
webanalytics.co.za 1415 USD
seeconnect.de 1350 EUR
kamagraonline.de 1200 EUR
flashscore.nl 1000 EUR
viking.us 1000 USD
golfmotion.nl 1000 EUR
Other
betamerica.net 5750 USD
sistercities.org 4800 USD
internettutorials.net 4050 USD
tesla.info 3900 USD
opex.org 3288 USD
farming.org 2550 GBP
burgers.net 2500 EUR
vitaplus.net 1500 USD
champions.club 1500 USD
campagnolo.biz 1400 EUR
riversoftware.net 1000 USD
buylist.net 980 USD
buybitcoins.info 950 USD
geru.net 900 USD
zonneschermen.net 800 EUR
stockist.info 800 USD
zpi.org 700 USD
For more information check out Sedo here.
Neustar Reports Results for Second Quarter 2014 : Revenue Up 8%
Neustar announced recently the results for the second quarter ended June 30,2014.The report revealed that the revenue increased 8% to $237,5 million.
The report also revealed that the revenue from Marketing Services increased 19%, net income decreased 15%, net income per share decreased 6% and that the revenue from Security Services increased 28%.
You can read the announcement after the jump:
“Neustar, Inc. (NYSE: NSR), a trusted, neutral provider of real-time information services and analytics, today announced results for the quarter ended June 30, 2014, and reaffirmed its guidance for 2014.
Results for Second Quarter 2014 Compared to Second Quarter 2013
Revenue increased 8% to $237.5 million
Revenue from Marketing Services increased 19% to $35.0 million
Revenue from Security Services increased 28% to $34.4 million
Net income decreased 15% to $36.8 million
Net income per share decreased 6% to $0.61
Non-GAAP Results for Second Quarter 2014 Compared to Second Quarter 2013
Adjusted net income increased 1% to $57.6 million, representing a 24% margin
Adjusted net income per share increased 12% to $0.95
“In the second quarter, we continued to build on and strengthen our position in attractive, high-growth markets in the Information Services and Analytics space,” said Lisa Hook, Neustar’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “This quarter’s results reflect the ongoing benefits of a thoughtful strategy, disciplined investments and focused execution. We are confident that we will sustain our momentum and drive value for our shareholders going forward.”
Paul Lalljie, Neustar’s Chief Financial Officer, added, “Our Information Services business continues to deliver strong results. In particular, our Marketing and Security Services, when combined, delivered year-over-year revenue growth of 23% and are approaching one-third of total revenue. Led by this strong momentum, we are confident in our outlook for the year. While we are reaffirming our full-year revenue and adjusted net income guidance, we will be targeting the top end of the revenue range.”
Discussion of Second Quarter Results
Revenue totaled $237.5 million, an 8% increase from $220.4 million in 2013. Marketing Services revenue of $35.0 million grew 19% driven by higher demand for the company’s workflow solutions. Security Services revenue of $34.4 million increased 28% driven by revenue from the acquisition of .CO Internet S.A.S. and increased demand for DDoS protection services. NPAC Services revenue of $118.7 million grew 6% driven by an increase in the fixed fee established under the contracts to provide local number portability services. Data Services revenue of $49.4 million declined 6% due to lower revenue from caller identification services and common short codes.
Operating expense totaled $172.7 million, a 19% increase from $145.6 million in the second quarter of 2013. This $27.1 million increase was primarily driven by the addition of $11.9 million in operating expense from the company’s recent acquisitions, as it continues to diversify and strengthen its information services and analytics portfolio. Of the remaining $15.2 million increase, personnel and personnel-related expense increased $3.5 million driven by additional stock-based compensation. In addition, costs related to information technology and systems increased $3.4 million, and professional and marketing expenses associated with the NPAC vendor selection process increased $3.3 million.
As of June 30, 2014, cash and cash equivalents totaled $245.9 million, compared to $223.3 million as of December 31, 2013. At June 30, 2014, the company’s outstanding debt under its term facilities and 4.5% senior notes was $787.3 million. During the second quarter, the company closed on the acquisition of .CO Internet S.A.S. for total cash consideration of $106.8 million, after taking into account cash acquired of $6.9 million. In addition, the company purchased approximately 3.7 million shares at an average price of $26.48 per share, for approximately $99.1 million.
Business Outlook for 2014
The company reaffirmed its revenue and adjusted net income guidance provided on January 29, 2014:
Revenue to range from $945 million to $970 million, or growth of 5% to 8%
Adjusted net income to range from $233 million to $243 million, or flat to 4% growth, and on a per share basis $3.88 to $4.05, or growth of 10% to 15%
Conference Call
As announced on July 9, 2014, Neustar will conduct an investor conference call to discuss the company’s results today at 4:30 p.m. (Eastern Time). Prior to the call, investors may access the conference call over the Internet via the Investor Relations tab of the company’s website (www.neustar.biz). Those listening via the Internet should go to the website 15 minutes early to register, download and install any necessary audio software.
The conference call is also accessible via telephone by dialing 888-811-5455 (international callers dial 913-312-0649) and entering PIN 9179366. For those who cannot listen to the live broadcast, a replay will be available through 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time) Wednesday, July 30, 2014 by dialing 877-870-5176 (international callers dial 858-384-5517) and entering replay PIN 9179366, or by going to the Investor Relations tab of the company’s website (www.neustar.biz).
Neustar will take questions from securities analysts and institutional portfolio managers; the complete call is open to all other interested parties on a listen-only basis.
This press release, the financial tables and other supplemental information are available on the company’s website under the Investor Relations tab. This supplemental information includes reconciliations of certain non-GAAP measures to their most directly comparable GAAP measures; these non-GAAP measures may be used periodically by management when discussing the company’s financial results with investors and analysts.”
ICANN : Introduction of Two-Character Domains for .Luxury, .Wang, .Pizza, .Restaurant, .Gift anf 29 other TLDs
Seven (7) Registry Services Evaluation Process (RSEP) requests were submitted by the registry operators listed below to allow the introduction of two-character domain names for the below TLDs. In total, the requests concern 34 New gTLDs.
Proposal TLD Registry Name Documents
2014039 Multiple TLDs* Top Level Domain Holdings Limited Top Level Domain Holdings Limited Request 21 July 2014
2014037 xn--55qx5d
xn--io0a7i Computer Network Information Center of Chinese Academy of Sciences Computer Network Information Center of Chinese Academy of Sciences (China Internet Network Information Center) Request 17 July 2014 [PDF, 16 KB]
2014035 pizza
restaurant
gifts
sarl Binky Lake LLC Binky Lake, LLC Request 11 July 2014 [PDF, 16 KB]
2014034 ren Beijing Qianxiang Wangjing Technology Development Co., Ltd. Beijing Qianxiang Wangjing Technology Development Co., Ltd. Request 11 July 2014 [PDF, 15 KB]
2014031 build Plan Bee, LLC Plan Bee, LLC Request 10 July 2014 [PDF, 18 KB]
2014029 wang
xn--3bSt00M
xn--6qQ986B3xL
xn--czRu2D
xn--45Q11C Zodiac Registry Limited Zodiac Registry Limited Request 30 June 2014 [PDF, 15 KB]
2014028 luxury Luxury Partners, LLC Luxury Partners, LLC Request 27 June 2014 [PDF, 18 KB]
*Note: Top Level Domain Holdings Limited has submitted one RSEP request for 20 gTLDs.
As part of these requests, each registry operator described which two-character domain names for which it would offer these registrations. These RSEP requests were posted for public information on the Registry Service Evaluation Process webpage, available at https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/rsep-2014-02-19-en.
As required by the Registry Services Evaluation Policy, ICANN has undertaken a preliminary determination on whether the proposals might raise significant competition, security or stability issues. ICANN’s preliminary review (based on the information provided) did not identify any such issues for these requests.
Implementation of the proposal would require amendments to the Exhibit A, Approved Services of the respective Registry Agreements, which are being posted for public comment.
This announcement was sourced from :
