WIXIDOMAINS has extensive experience in ICANN Accredidation. We've accredited many companies and can get the job done faster and smoother than almost anyone out there.
What is ICANN Accreditation?
ICANN, The Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers is a bottom up organization, which essentially works with governments, and the internet and business community's to establish and enforce policy over the domain and DNS systems of the Internet. Within the framework of ICANN are Registry and Registrar accreditations. An accredited registry is a company, which has been found to be in various aspects, competent to run a registry business. Examples of these are .com, .net, .org, .info, .biz, etc. These companies sign agreements with ICANN essentially promising to abide by the rules and framework established by ICANN for running and maintaining the top management for a particular domain name. When a registry is established it essentially is a monopoly for a particular domain name. Because of conflict of interest issues, ICANN policy restricts these gTLD registries from selling domain names directly through a retail channel. This is where the accredited registrar system comes into play. Similar to registry accreditation, when applying for registrar accreditation a company is saying they are a competent and responsible company ready to connect and buy directly at wholesale rates from the registries. When applying for registrar accreditation, a company also promises to abide by the rules, regulations and policies put in place by ICANN. Registrar accreditation is essentially the top of the food chain when it comes to the domain business. After ICANN does a thorough analysys of your application and company, you may become accredited. Once accredited, a company has the ability to purchase domains at registry level wholesale rates and in many cases, registries have specials and discounts which your company will be able to participate in. What are the benefits of ICANN Accreditation?
- Along with becoming accredited comes tremendous benefit. The first and obvious benefit is that your company will enjoy the lowest prices possible for domain names.
- Ability to participate in registry campaigns, receive marketing material and assistance from registries.
- Support. Have you experienced support issues in the past with your domain suppliers? That will no longer be an issue. You will be at the top of the food chain and any issues you will have will be registry issues, which are much less common.
- Participation and input into the community. Once accredited, you will be eligible to become a member of the registrars constituency. This is a group that works to actually create, alter, change and give input to ICANN on policies governing the domain business.
- Name brand recognition. There comes a recognition and trust when users see the ICANN accredited mark on your website. Becoming accredited makes it possible for your company to use the ICANN logo on your site and in your marketing materials.
Should my company become ICANN Accredited?
My typical rule of thumb is that if you manage over 5,000 domain names, you should become ICANN accredited. It depends on what you current cost for domains is, but I see a lot of companies where the cost benefit of becoming ICANN accredited is at about this point. I have seen companies with over 50,000 domains under management but still not accredited. It really depends on your needs and your business model. But we can say from the experience of one company we accredited, that just becoming accredited and putting the ICANN logo on their site gave such brand recognition and trust in the consumers eyes, that sales almost immediately increased. Any cost they incurred for the accreditation was quickly recuperated by this boost in sales. Some financial requirements you must consider:
- There is a $2500 Non-refundable application fee payable to ICANN
- If ICANN offers you an accreditation letter and you accept, there is a $4000 accreditation fee. This will then become due annually.
- There is an additional "shared fee" which is due annually. Cost can vary from hundreds to thousands of dollars.
- Maintain general liability insurance covering your business for up to $500,000
- Certificate showing you have a balance of at least $70,000 in your bank account How do I get ICANN Accredited?
There are simply two paths to go about getting accredited:
Option 1. Apply on your own
Pros:
In this scenario you will not have to pay an outside consultant to do this work for you.
Cons:
- Although you do not have to pay an outside consultant, it can be a very daunting task. It typically takes so much time and effort that in the end, you actually spend more money on funds allocated to paying your own staff. Typically that is more money paid internally than you could have hired a consultant to take care of the task for you.
- Since this will be your first time to do this process, there is a learning curve which will end up extending the amount of time it will take you to get accredited. We typically see the process taking at least double and often four times longer for companies first doing this on their own.
Option 2. Have an experienced consultant guide you through the process
Pros:
- There is really no work for you to do other than supply the consultant with the required materials and information
- The process is fast. Using an experienced consultant means your application goes in faster and comes back quicker.
- Even though you pay a consultant, you actually save money and headaches. Fast accreditation means your buying domains at low rates soon.
Cons:
- none
About WIXI ICANN consulting services:
Experience
WIXI staff are some of the most experienced in obtaining ICANN of anyone in the industry. We have experience in bridging both cultural and language barriers. WIXI staff has experience in accrediting various types of companies from around the world, including Europe and almost half of all companies accredited in Japan. We are experienced experts in this field and at one time held an informal record of the fastest accreditation ever done within ICANN. Cost We offer this service at a cost which essentially guarantees you could not save yourself either time or money by doing it on your own. Time We usually tell our clients this depends on them. We can typically process applications as quickly as our clients can give us the required documents. For a client who is very cooperative in supplying us with materials, we usually see accreditation within about 3 months. Companies who apply on their own typically spend as much as 1 year going through the process. Next steps: If you are interested in WIXI ICANN consulting services the steps are very clear. Just ask yourself the following questions:
- Do you have over 5,000 domains currently under management?
- Do you have the financial resources to fulfill the obligations set out by ICANN (annual fees, etc.)?
- Do you want to save time and money by having this process professionally managed?
If you answered yes to the three questions above, you are ready. Please contact us immediately to get started. Or if you have any additional questions about any of this information, please contact us today: