ICANN, the organisation overseeing the internet's naming system,
yesterday selected the US-based Internet Society (ISOC) as the new
operator of the .org top level domain, to replace VeriSign. ISOC,
which will start managing the .org registry on 1st January 2003, is
a non-profit group of information technology professionals.
The .org registry will be operated by the Public Interest
Registry (PIR), a new organisation established by ISOC. The
infrastructure will be provided by Afilias, the current operator of
the .info domain.
The.org domain accounts for more than 2.3 million internet
addresses worldwide. VeriSign, the current operator, charges domain
name retailers $6 per year for every .org domain name they sell.
According to ICANN, the transition plan is "very solid" and current
registrants "should notice no interruption of service."
For more information, see: www.isoc.org
