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Domain Registry leaves UCD to go solo
Wednesday, November 01 2000
by Aoidin Scully


The .ie Domain Registry has broken away from University College Dublin to become
an independent service, IE Domain Registry Limited. 

The new company will operate the registry, which registers and allocates all .ie
domain names, on behalf of domain name users.



Mike Fagan will continue as General Manager of the registry, which currently has
in excess of 17,000 Web site addresses registered and handles approximately 600
new applications each month.



"This is just the first step in what has been promised for a long time. The
ultimate goal is to hand the company over to the Irish Internet community," said
Fagan.



The transferral from UCD is being done on a phased basis. At the moment, three of
the four board directors are from UCD with one director seat vacant, but within
six to nine months the company intends to bring in more independent directors
representing the Internet community.



"We haven't actually approached anyone yet, but we'd be hopeful that we'd get
someone from the Irish Internet Association (IIA), somebody from the Information
Society Commission and someone from the Department of Public Enterprise, as well
as a delegate from Consumer Affairs, who would represent the average Sean Citizen
as opposed to just the industry itself," Fagan commented. 



University College Dublin has operated the .ie domain registry since its
inception in July 1998, but the close relationship between the two had drawn
criticism from within the industry, with some critics alleging that UCD was
profiting from IEDR revenue. 



In an earlier ElectricNews.Net interview, however, Fagan vehemently refuted such
allegations. He stressed that UCD was eager to see the split made.



"We are delighted to have been associated with the creation and development of
the .ie domain registry and we wish the operation well in its new existence
independent of the University," said UCD President Dr. Art Cosgrove.



"UCD has helped to nurture the registry from its inception and we all hope
today marks the beginning of a new era of continued growth and development for
the registry," added Fagan.



The IEDR also unveiled a new shamrock-style logo at the recent National Internet
Business Awards on 6 October.