aeDA News

.aeDA chooses Red Hat

Sun, 16 Oct 2011 GMT

Open source solutions provider, Red Hat has announced that the regulatory body and registry operator .ae Domain Administration (.aeDA), has standardised its registry infrastructure on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 operating system with support from Red Hat Network Satellite.

"The mandate from the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority [TRA] was clear. Our department had to create a state-of-the-art .ae Country Code Top Level domain [ccTLD] registry based on international standards and best practices that was to be a pioneering model for operating registry within UAE as well as the Middle East region. A Top Level Domain [TLD] registry is a 24x7x365 mission-critical operation as it is the base for various websites and communication methods used by government, financial, health and other public and private sectors. The technology must be robust and highly available as we need to serve Internet users from any part of the world," said Mohammad Al Zarooni, director, .aeDA .

"We chose Red Hat as the company is the leader in the Linux enterprise server operating system market. The vendor's solutions are comprehensive and stable and the technology is well supported by the open source community. The timely and regular software updates from Red Hat have been instrumental in the smooth functioning of the registry."

The .aeDA registry infrastructure based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 is designed to allow real-time processing of transactions so that registrants can acquire their desired .ae domain names immediately.

Customers can purchase their .ae domain names entirely online from accredited registrars.

The .aeDA, established in 2007 by the TRA, is responsible for the setting and enforcement of all policies with regard to the operation of the .ae ccTLD, as well as overseeing the operation of the registry system.

"We are currently conducting the launch cycle for امارات. [dotEmarat]. It is among the first registries to launch a non-Latin Top Level Domain. The volume of Arabic content on the Internet is huge, but inability to write domain addresses in Arabic alphabets is a barrier for a large segment of Arab users. This led us to conceive the idea of an Arabic TLD. We envision managing and operating other TLDs in the future," said Al Zarooni.

TRA launches phase to register special domain names

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 GMT

Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA) is pleased to announce the opening of registration in the Arabic domain name (DotEmarat) for special names. The registration will be open from 4th of September until the 3rd of October, and it can be done through accredited registrars. In-line with its objective to promote the usage of Arabic language in e-addresses, and in a step that reflects its endeavor to continue its initiative related to domain names (DotEmarat), the registration launch for special names follows the approval obtained from Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) in January 2010. Commenting on the registration, H.E. Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, TRA Director General said: “Since we acquired approval from ICANN regarding the domain (DotEmarat), we have set a timeline for ourselves to promote this domain name across all sectors. We started with the governmental sector, then with trademarks, and now we have come to the special names phase, which demonstrate that we are on target with our plan, and we are achieving rapid progress in this regard.” “The registration will enable users to seize the opportunity of booking their own domain name, as the availability for names is still vast. The Arabic domain name indeed provides ease in memorizing, writing, and circulating the names in Arabic, in addition to its distinct look on the browser when written in Arabic,” he added. This registration will provide users with a wide range of options, and a portal that will allow users who surf the net, especially the ones who are not familiar with English, to find domains easily. The names that will be registered can be simple and direct such as: Hotels Dot Emarat, Autos Dot Emarat, Search Dot Emarat, Shopping Dot Emarat, Sports Dot Emarat, etc. Individuals who are interested in registering their domain names can visit the Arabic link (عربي.امارات ). Al Ghanim further noted: “One of the main objectives sought by TRA through promoting and deploying the domain name (DotEmarat), is to reach to a wide spectrum of users of this domain, and to allow Arabic speakers to achieve the maximum benefit from the internet, its diverse channels and enormous capabilities, by providing a bridge that allows them to cross language barriers that used to be an obstacle to them.” The Arabic domain name (DotEmarat) is an unprecedented achievement on the regional level that makes the UAE one of four countries in the world to launch a domain name in its national language following the approval of ICANN. Notably, the TRA had recently completed the two registration stages for the governmental sector and trademarks for the Arabic domain (DotEmarat).

.AE Joins as Newest Member of the ccNSO

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 GMT

The Council of the country code Names Supporting Organisation (ccNSO) today approved Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA), the ccTLD operator of .ae (United Arab Emirates), as a new ccNSO member. The ccNSO, which is ICANN's policy development body for ccTLD issues, now numbers 117 members, all of them country code Top Level Domain operators from around the world.

TRA participates in the World IPv6 Day

Tue, 07 Jun 2011 GMT

The UAE Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA), represented by the .ae Domain Administration Department (.aeDA), will be participating in the TEST Flight Day on 8 June 2011, joining other major organizations around the world who will display their content over the “IP v6” for the 24-hour “test flight”. This will allow Internet users globally to reach the .aeDA website www.aeda.ae using IPv6 address

The goal of the Test Flight Day www.worldipv6day.org is to motivate organizations across the industry; Internet service providers, hardware manufacturers, operating system vendors and web masters to prepare their services for “IP v6” to ensure a successful transition as “IP v4” addresses are running out.

Commenting on the participation of the TRA in the event, H.E. Mohammad Nasser Al Ghanim, TRA Director General said: “The TRA is proud to take part in leading such initiative, and to be the first production website hosted in the UAE which is accessible globally via IPv6 address scheme. With the recent exhaustion of IPv4 address allocations, we are confident that the IPv6 will open a new chapter in the field of communication, which will allow a large amount of people and devices to be connected to the Internet.”

The TRA has established the UAE top level domain infrastructure to comply with the IPv6. The (.ae) and the Arabic top level domain (dotEmarat) registry system are currently capable of assigning IPv6 DNS delegation to their customers who wish to serve their websites through IPv6 cloud.

The TRA will shortly lunch its new initiative, which will include a country wide assessment on the IPv6 uptake in the UAE, and it will look to draw up a transition plan to ensure, as a priority that all government entities are (IPv6) ready and connected.

The .ae Domain Administration (.aeDA) was established in 2007 by TRA as the regulatory body and registry operator for the .ae domain name. The (.aeDA) is responsible for the enforcement of all policies reference to the operation of the .ae country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) as well as overseeing the operation of the registry system. Its role is to develop and execute the domain administration policy; grow, build on and market the .ae namespace; accredit and manage .ae registrars; educate the public on the domain name .ae, deliver and promote the .ae domain name; facilitate the .ae Dispute Resolution Policy; and represent .ae at international forums.

TRA announces the impending closure for Registration in the dotEmarat (امارات.) domain for trademark owners

Thu, 26 May 2011 GMT

Considering the great importance of the dotEmarat (امارات.) Arabic domain especially for trademark owners, and the benefits it offers in ensuring a crucial ability to interlink with a new segment of users who were excluded from benefiting from the internet due to the language barrier, the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA) has launched the initiative of the Arabic domain (امارات.) in the UAE. The launch represented the beginning of a new Internet era, and the beginning of the UAE journey towards the optimal use to online Arabic content.

Therefore, the TRA is pleased to announce that the registration in the dotEmarat (امارات.) domain for trademark owners witnessed the registry of regional and international leading trademark companies of their Arabic dotEmarat (امارات.) domain names. The TRA is also pleased to announce that the closing date for the registry is on the 31st May, 2011.

Commenting on this, H.E. Mr. Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, TRA Director General said: “in accordance with the objectives of the dotEmarat (امارات.) domain initiative in developing and marketing the domain names, educating the audience and promoting the domain, the TRA has opened earlier the Registration in the dotEmarat (امارات.) domain for trademark owners, taking into consideration the commercial benefits it offers regarding promoting the relationship between the trademark owners and their clients.”

“Also, dotEmarat (امارات.) can be used in commercial campaigns targeting the Arabic user, especially since the new Arabic top-level domain name is currently a broad market incorporating an assortment of unique names that fits the activities offered by every company, unlike the cliché top-level domain names where obtaining a new name has become close to impossible.’ He added.

Ownership of (dotEmarat) domains will secure intellectual property rights related to the Trademark, and it will prevent any legal disputes that may arise at a later stage. Disputes can run for long times, cost huge losses and harm the reputation a trademark, which are things that the TRA is keen to prevent the trademark owners from experiencing, in order to ensure a smooth and seamless business processes for those trademarks within the cyber space which the TRA is providing.

The TRA encourages interested trademark owners to register prior to the closure on the 31st May, 2011. Trademark owners who are keen to register for Arabic domain names can view a complete list of registrars by following the link (registrars.aeda.ae). Comprehensive information about the Arabic top-level domain name (dotEmarat) is available at: policy.aeda.ae and عربي.امارات

The (.ae) Domain Administration (.aeDA) is responsible for the enforcement of all policies reference to the operation of the (.ae) country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) as well as overseeing the operation of the registry system.

The UAE Participation in the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) 2011

Sat, 21 May 2011 GMT

The UAE, represented by the National WSIS Committee, participated in the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) 2011, held in Geneva during 16-20 May 2011, as the official sponsor and the strategic partner of the event. The WSIS is considered to be an international forum that gathers countries from around the world. The WSIS mainly focuses on the importance of the global telecommunication and information revolution, and on the need to adopt a global comprehensive vision.
The delegation of the UAE was headed by H.E Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, TRA Director General. The delegation also consisted of representatives of the UAE National WSIS Committee, and the Abu Dhabi Systems and Information Centre (ADSIC).
H.E , Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim delivered a speech in the session which was held on Monday morning 16th May 2011, he said: “the participation of the UAE in sponsoring and organizing this international conference in a proof for the leading status which the UAE is creating for itself in being a regional hub with a growing importance, and as an effective international player.”
He referred to the importance of such summits as dynamic interactive functions that focus on education, exchange, connectivity, promoting partnerships, innovations and field experiences in the information and telecommunication sectors.
Speaking on the steps taken by the UAE in regards of the WSIS, Al Ghanim said: “We, in the United Arab Emirates have established a WSIS National Committee which has members from the National Stakeholder Organizations which adds the valuable experience from the industry and user community. This Committee is earnestly working to implement the WSIS objectives and realize the vision of building an equitable, people centered and development oriented Information Society where the people can achieve the economic, social and cultural aspirations.”
Following the inauguration session, Al Ghanim launched the UAE WSIS National Report, where he highlighted the importance of the report and the efforts of the UAE in achieving the goals of the WSIS.
The Ghanim explained that the UAE WSIS National Report contains all information related to the UAE activities of the WSIS since it was launched, and that it is an important reference that documents every step made by the UAE to achieve WSIS goals. The report will provide all participant delegations with a background of the achievements of the UAE in this field.
The UAE Country Workshop was held on the first day of the summit. The workshop discussed the WSIS Implementation in UAE, Internet Exchange Point Project, ae Domain Administration (aeDA), Gov E-Strategy, Radio Services and the UAE Information and Communication Technology Fund.
The Emirati delegation hosted a reception on Monday, May 16, attended by H.E Ambassador Obaid Salem Al Zaabi, Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations in Geneva and he had the opening speech of the Reception, His Excellency the Secretary-General of ITU Dr. Hamadoun Toure and the Director General of TRA H.E Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, in addition to many distinguished guests and representatives of other organizations in the UN. The reception was the perfect opportunity to socialize and network with other guests, informing them about the UAE as well as the country’s ICT sector and WSIS achievements.
ADSIC delivered a presentation on the e-Government program, in which attendants were briefed about the program’s vision that goes in harmony with Abu Dhabi Vision 2030 and the Government Policy Agenda. The presentation addressed the development of the IT sector and upgrading the emirate’s electronic infrastructure and services, giving some historical background information on ADSIC’s establishment and development, the e-government vision, strategy and concepts and how it adopted the “Environment – Readiness – Usage” (ERU) Framework from the World Economic Forum (WEF).
On the second day, a Thematic workshop was specially convened for ADSIC, which featured a detailed presentation of the e-Government strategy, held by Mohammed Al Khamiri, Director of Strategy and planning. Al Khamiri highlighted the results of e-maturity evaluation, followed by a brief overview of the Abu Dhabi Government (ADG) Green IT strategy. He also explored economic projects, giving examples like the Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) program, Cyber laws, Information Security Program, the ADG network, Contact Center, the e-Government Portal, Jobs Abu Dhabi, and the Program’s vision to the future.
Khaled Al Mazrouei, Manager of Customer Service at ADG, introduced the Government’s Contact Center (800-555) strategy with its focus on customer satisfaction, and better quality service provision, as per applicable global practices. Al Mazrouei then reviewed recent developments in the Center since its establishment in 2008, and plans developed for improving its services, by means of full deployment of ICT capabilities.
A session was then held on the opening of the Information and Communication Technologies Exploratorium in Geneva by the UAE Government and the TRA in partnership with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). H.E Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, TRA Director General, delivered a speech mentioning that the government of the UAE and the TRA will offer a sum of two million USD for the design and construction of this Exploratorium which will open, free of charge, for the general public, ITU delegates and visiting experts. It will also strive to inform visitors about the rich history and exciting developments in ICT and ITU’s role in helping to ‘Connect the world’. In the evening of the same day, another Thematic Workshop “aeDA – UAE Domain Name Administration” was held.
On the third day a high level dialogue session titled “Innovation for Digital Inclusion” was held, in which the UAE was represented by ADSIC. Khalifa Al Hameeri, Strategy Specialist, highlighted e-awareness programs and aspects of innovation included, and how these programs were modified and adapted for use with UAE students through the “Imagine Us” competition. In this example, the aim was to teach students problem-solving techniques using different ICT tools. In another example, in which the target audience were housewives, the aim was to raise the level of their digital awareness and how to deploy IT for making their lives better and easier. And so was the case with other categories like workers, and others.
The last function of the WSIS on the fourth day was the convening of a high level dialogue titled ”Confidence and Security in Cyberspace”, the UAE was represented by H.E Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, TRA Director General. The session discussed the best methods and mechanisms that can be adopted in order to achieve a safer cyber space which is one of the core strategies of the TRA.

TRA Encourages Trademark Owners to Seize Opportunity

Sun, 16 Jan 2011 GMT

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) extended the registration in the (dotEmarat) Sunrise period for an additional six months to give Trademark owners greater opportunity to take advantage of the unique offer.

TRA is encouraging Trademarks owners to apply during the Sunrise period to benefit from a wide range of benefits including the ease of registration process and the competitive cost. Furthermore, the current stage witnesses less competition to obtain a (dotEmarat) domain name.

H.E. Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, TRA Director General commented on the extension saying: “We are committed to support Trademark owners while applying to acquire an Arabic domain name, therefore we decided to extend the Sunrise period. (dotEmarat) represents various commercial advantages that can enhance and strengthen the communication between businesses and their clients.”

“Ownership of (dotEmarat) domains will secure intellectual property rights related to the Trademark and opens vast opportunities for more businesses to take advantage of the Arabic names for their brands,” added Al Ghanim.

The Arabic top-level domain name (dotEmart) facilitates new opportunities for trademarks to communicate with a larger segment of Arabic users. It creates a communication bridge through which businesses can deliver their messages and offer their services for that particular segment. At the same time, Trademark intellectual property rights will be secured.

Acquiring an Arabic domain name during the Sunrise period will prevent any legal disputes that may arise at a later stage. Disputes that can run for long time, cost huge charges and harm the image of a trademark can be avoided easily by registering for a (dotEmarat) domain name.

The TRA has accredited many registrars to facilitate the registration process for their Arabic domain names. Companies keen to register for Arabic domain names can view a complete list of registrars by following the link (registrars.aeda.ae). Comprehensive information about the Arabic top-level domain name (dotEmarat) is available at: policy.aeda.ae

Reflections on TRA / .aeDA Participation in GITEX 2010

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 GMT

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) / .ae Domain Administration (.aeDA) participated in GITEX Technology Week 2010 with events and new services aiming to enhance and develop the ICT sector in the UAE. The TRA fifth participation witnessed the celebration of the telecommunication Golden Jubilee, launching the new identity of Arabic top-level domain name dotEmarat.

H.E. Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, TRA Director General said: “TRA is keen to participate in all ICT related events; our participation in GITEX 2010 was fruitful as we managed to achieve all the goals we set before the exhibition.”

“We started with the celebration of the telecommunications Golden Jubilee then we launched the Sunrise Period for the Arabic domain name dotEmarat. Additionally, it was good chance to meet all the partners involving in the ICT sector locally and regionally.” Added Al Ghanim.

On Monday, October 18th, TRA organized a press conference where the celebration of the telecommunications Golden Jubilee was announced, shedding light on the history of this promising sector since its inception in the early sixties till now. TRA also revealed a mini museum, which contained valuable old pieces and photos that chronicle the details of the telecommunications history. The mini museum attracted large number of visitors who were delighted to watch these unique pieces.

Tuesday, October 19th witnessed launching the new identity of dotEmarat in press conference at the TRA stand. The press conference was attended by many guests and media where a comprehensive enlightenment was given by H.E. Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim to demonstrate the benefits of dotEmarat on Arabic culture and language as well as the commercial its benefits for trademarks.

Durraq New Local Accredited Registrar with .aeDA

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 GMT

As a part of expanding .ae globally .aeDA has accredited a new local registrar in the month of October 2010, Durraq. This will boost .aeDA registrars to 16 Accredited Registrars.

Durraq provides instant online .ae domain name registration and web hosting services. Now the .ae customers have a choice to acquire domain registration and hosting services in a very convenient way.

DURRAQ provides Budget domain and webhosting to serve the businesses in the UAE. They are purely an Internet Services oriented company. You can easily register your .ae domain name by visiting them on http://www.tasjeel.ae

TRA sets Press Conference Launching Top-Level Domain dotEmarat (.امارات) New Identity

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 GMT

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has set a press conference during GITEX Technology Week launching the new Arabic top-level domain name new identity and trademark. The conference which kicked off at 11:00 am at TRA stand was attended by a remarkable number of visitors and media figures as well as guests interested in information technology.

H.E. Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, TRA Director General, addressed the attendees marking the traits of the Arabic top-level domain name dotEmarat (.امارات) and the launching stages it has un-dergone. Al Ghanim highlighted the fact that the TRA has dedicated ‘phase one’ to governmental entities, while dedicating the currently-commenced ‘phase two’ to trademarks.

H.E. Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, TRA Director General, commented on launching of the Sun-rise Period stating that: “The Arabic top-level domain (dotEmarat) presents a unique opportunity for companies looking to expand its customer base. Ownership of such domains will secure intel-lectual property rights related to the name and opens vast opportunities for more companies to take advantage of the Arabic names for their brands.

Al Ghanim added: “The volume of Arabic content on the Internet is huge, but inability to write domain addresses in Arabic alphabets constituted a barrier for a large segment of Arab users. This was the main driver that sparked the adoption of the idea to present Arabic top-level domain names.”

During his speech, Al Ghanim demonstrated the benefits of launching dotEmarat (.امارات) on culture and language heritage to form a supporting pillar for the Arabic language across the inter-net. It also breaks barriers encountered by internet users that only speak Arabic.

The largest share (about 30 per cent) of Internet users speak English, followed by Chinese (20 per cent) and Spanish (8 percent), while the share of the Arabic content reaches 3% only.

The conference illustrated the commercial benefits dotEmarat (.امارات) offers to trademarks. It forms a crucial ability to interlink with a new segment of users. This connection embodies a bridge that leads this new division to understand and utilize the internet services. It is considered a re-markable asset for trademarks willing to interact in Arabic. Also, dotEmarat (.امارات) can be used in commercial campaigns targeting the Arabic user, especially since the new Arabic top-level domain name is currently a broad market incorporating an assortment of unique names that fits the activi-ties offered by every company, unlike the cliché top-level domain names where obtaining a new name has become close to impossible.

It is worth noting that the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has obtained the approval of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) thus becoming among the first countries of the world to launch an Arabic top-level domain name which reflects the wish of the authority in supporting the internet, empowering the UAE leading role in the areas of IT and telecommunications.

After adjourning the conference, the regulatory engineers responded to technical questions and more details were offered to media figures and public.