Icann releases guidelines for .com competition

Icann, the US government organisation due to take over the management of global domain names later this year, has issued guidelines for companies wishing to compete with Network Solutions for the contract to handle registration of .com names.

Network Solutions - which handles many high-profile addresses including .com - has struggled under heavy demand in recent months. Many observers expect the strain to get worse as demand increases through the year.

Companies wanting to pitch for a registration license will be required to use the guidelines to test their capabilities for two months starting from April. After the trial period, Icann will issue full licenses to five companies.