Canadians and Canadian
companies are registering dot-ca Internet domain names in growing
numbers to establish Made in .CAnada identities on the World Wide
Web. Canadian Internet users prefer to use dot-ca domains and many
companies now want their international presence on the Internet
to proudly reflect their Canadian identity. As a result, businesses
and governments have collectively invested millions to develop and
nurture online brands.
As ironic as it seems, the real value derived from the millions
spent on web projects rests upon domain names costing only $15 to
$50 a year. IT, marketing, and legal professionals are quickly learning
that an organization's domain name, costing as little as 4 cents
a day, must be carefully managed.
The Administrative Contact of a domain name is generally the "King/Queen".
He/she has ultimate power-the power to direct a domain name to any
website. In practical terms, the Administrative Contact is the only
person who can act on behalf of the organization for domain name
related tasks and decisions. However, he/she can only do so if the
email address provided at the time of registration is still functional.
Many Administrative Contacts change email addresses but forget to
notify their registrar!
Internet domains generally have similar requirements for registrations,
renewals, and Administrative Contact updates. Dot-ca processes are
more extensive but offer a greater degree of security to consumers.
How much effort have you put into developing an online presence
and brand? Would your business be affected if it lost its domain
name? Do you know who the Administrative Contact is for your organization's
domain names? Will you know what to do with your domain name if
he/she moves on to another job?
As use of the Internet reaches a state of maturity in Canada, we
will see a growing number of people ask and answer these important
questions.
