New York City is to get its own domain name, news that’s guaranteed to prove a big hit with local businesses, travel sites and possibly cybersquatters looking to make a fast buck.
Approved by Internet address regulator ICANN, website owners in the East Coast metropolis will be able to apply for a .nyc address from later this year, though the price tag is yet to be announced.
Mayor Bloomberg is evidently delighted that his city is the first in the US to get its own domain name.
“Having our own unique, top-level domain – .nyc – puts New York City at the forefront of the digital landscape and creates new opportunities for our small businesses,” Bloomberg said on his website. “They’ll now be able to identify themselves as connected to New York City, one of the world’s strongest and most prestigious brands.”
Mayoral hopeful Christine Quinn also lauded ICANN’s decision, claiming that with the new top-level domain name, “New York won’t just be the greatest city in the world — we’ll also be the greatest city on the Internet.” She added that the .nyc suffix “will give small businesses and residents the chance to secure their own city-themed, personal domain name and generate millions of dollars in revenue for the city.”
Bloomberg first talked of his plans for a .nyc domain name two years ago when he launched his Roadmap for a Digital City, an initiative aimed at establishing New York as the “the nation’s premier digital city.”
If you’re already thinking about names you might want to register (eg. ilove.nyc, visitwonderful.nyc, iprefervancouverto.nyc, etc), you need to be aware that it’s only open to those who have a primary place of residence in the city, or a business with a New York City address.
All the necessary information for registering your very own .nyc Web address can be found at www.mydotnyc.com.
[Image: Malcolm Brown]
