Draft Applicant Guidebook ver 2

[Jaser Elmorsy <jaser.elmorsy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

To: ICANN
From: Jaser Elmorsy



Subject: Draft Applicant Guidebook ver 2



I'm the CEO of BlueBridge Technologies, a software development company 
headquartered in Europe.  My company does business in the Arabic world, 
including an office in Cairo with about 35 employees there.



I attended the ICANN meetings in Paris and in Cairo, where I raised my concern 
about the current disparities between gTLDs and ccTLDs in when and how IDN 
versions of these TLDs will become available. I explained why it would be a 
major threat for international businesses, especially Small and Medium-sized 
Businesses like mine if the ccTLDs are offering IDN domains on a much faster 
timeline than IDN gTLDs. There is no way I want to register BlueBridge.net in 
over 20 Arabic ccTLDs. All I want is the ability for my clients and employees 
to be able to use all-Arabic script for their BlueBridge.net emails and domain 
names.



At the microphone, I asked how ICANN can ensure that at least the current gTLDs 
are allowed to offer their IDN domains at the same time as the ccTLDs are going 
to offer them. The response to my comment at the time was essentially ‘don’t 
worry about that’. But as I follow current developments with ICANN’s planned 
delay of launching new gTLDs, I see that my concerns were justified. I have to 
express my major disappointment with how my issue as a small business is being 
dealt with - if not even to say: not being dealt with.



For all businesses, but especially for small businesses like mine that use the 
web and want to work in the Arabic-speaking world, this issue is not trivial. 
It could directly shape my company's ability to grow, to employ local 
Arabic-speaking professionals and to make money. By fast-tracking the existing 
gTLDs (like my own .net) ICANN can solve this problem for the benefit of all.



Jaser Elmorsy