Register ORGanization, Inc. (hereinafter “RegisterOrg” or “The Registry”) respectfully submits the following response to ICANN’s .org Reassignment: Request for Proposals. RegisterOrg is a distinct subsidiary of Register.com, formed for the purpose of operating the .org registry in the event it is so delegated by ICANN. The mission of RegisterOrg is to transition the existing .org domain to a technologically and financially strong and stable, globally identifiable, top-level domain that is recognized as a preeminent resource for community-oriented Internet uses—people, causes, and ideas. RegisterOrg is the ideal company to redelegate the .org registry because of its strength, stability and sense of community.

Strength. RegisterOrg will draw upon the successes of its parent company, Register.com, using its technical expertise and financial strength to transition the .org registry while meeting the highest standards of reliability and security. Register.com has a legacy of operating mission-critical information structures, and has the resources to sustain and grow the registry as a trusted public resource. As a publicly traded company with more than $200 million in cash and marketable securities—as well as consistent growth in cash flow, earnings per share, and revenue—Register.com provides the necessary financial strength to support RegisterOrg in the years ahead.

Stability. RegisterOrg’s architecture and technical infrastructure are designed to be flexible, scalable, and highly reliable, enabling a smooth transition of the .org registry. Through innovation and technological excellence, RegisterOrg’s backend technology will be the cornerstone of a growing and sustainable .org top-level domain. RegisterOrg’s infrastructure has been extensively tested, and its capacity has been proven to be significantly greater than that experienced by the existing .org registry.

Community. In contrast to the Internet’s vastly commercial landscape, .org is a space intended for “other purposes”: people, causes, and ideas. RegisterOrg recognizes this vital difference, and will work to keep .org a vibrant independent forum for noncommercial users, while working to build civic capacity and value of the Internet for noncommercial Internet users internationally.

Grant Funding. RegisterOrg will grant two-and-a-half million dollars ($2,500,000.00) to the Open Society Institute and the Benton Foundation’s Digital Opportunity Channel (a joint initiative of the Digital Divide Network and One World.net). The selected entities have a demonstrated global reach within the noncommercial community. RegisterOrg believes that this contribution will seed the growth of a robust .org community by encouraging technology capacity building on an international scale, as well as fostering global policy awareness, education and participation, and technology innovation that will benefit the .org user community as a whole.

Community Portal. This site will serve as a central place where all users may engage in dialog about the issues that affect them most. This includes discussion of registry issues, information about global Internet policy development and Internet governance, and an array of resources to help .org registrants build their Web presence and better communicate with their target audiences. The community portal will demonstrate the best practices for users to reach a broad audience, provide links to technological tools that can be used to expand the effectiveness of a .org site, and offer resources for Internet users in underserved regions who need even more fundamental assistance to get online.

Targeted Marketing. RegisterOrg will implement a targeted marketing campaign designed to position .org as a vehicle for non-profits to most effectively reach a broader audience, thereby helping them achieve their specific needs/mission—whether it is fundraising, networking, information sharing, advocacy, or socializing. The marketing plan will contrast with the commercial nature of much of the Internet, stressing that .org is a “sharing and caring space” that is about people, causes, and ideas.

The Path to Success. The RegisterOrg team strongly believes that the .org registry should be run as a technical business, striving for stability, innovation and reliability. We submit that the .org registry should be operated by a team proficient in technical, business, legal, and marketing areas, in a manner that is supported by the .org community. The interests of the commercial registry operator and that of the .org community are closely aligned. To achieve commercial success, RegisterOrg must provide the highest levels of service, functionality, innovation, and education to stabilize and then expand the number of .org registrants. At the same time, our day-to-day focus will be narrowed to equally look after the interests of both the business of the registry and our customers.