Comments: .net registry RFP process

["Parry, Paul" <pparry@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

As holder of several .net domains and host of several others for third
parties, I find it crucial that ICANN carefully consider its choice of
administrator for this and other gTLDs. The following, in order, are the
most important criteria for such a provider:
 
1. A history of providing reliable administration of the resolution and
registration processes, including consideration for security and
resistance to denial of service attacks.
 
2. Financial backing and strength necessary to act quickly when
additional capacity is needed.
 
3. A demonstrated commitment to providing registrars and registrants
with the most efficient customer service for all necessary functions.
All functions that can be completed online must be available online, and
those that require offline verification (such as a signature or
letterhead) must be immediately confirmed and recorded so that
communicants may track their progress online.
 
4. A commitment to protecting the privacy of domain registrants while
still facilitating accurate contact. 75% of the UCE I receive is sent to
email addresses that I use solely for domain registration. TLD
administrators should be encouraged to devise innovative solutions in
this area.
 
5. The willingness and freedom to provide innovative services that
benefit the entire Internet community. Such services, however, must be
tangential to basic registration and resolution functions and not
interfere with existing software that registrars and users have created
based on published standards.  For example, software that relies on the
standard "non-existent domain" error code would be rendered useless by a
system in which all non-existent domains resolve to a central search
page. Internet users should be free to choose from competitive
resolution technologies and not be forced into the TLD administrator's
methods of resolution.
 
Further, the decision must be based solely on performance-based
criteria, keeping the needs of the Internet community as the paramount
consideration, and without retribution for legal proceedings with
individual applicants. 
 
 
Paul H. Parry
Chief Technology Officer
Xcalibur Software, Inc.
Herndon, Virginia, USA