Earlier this month, New York City announced a “Landrush.” (And you thought that only happened back in the 1800s.)
The available real estate is not found on Manhattan’s crowded streets but instead online through the city’s newfangled .nyc web domain.
Through Oct. 3, the city is encouraging local businesses, organizations and New Yorkers that have a physical address to pre-register .nyc domain names at OwnIt.nyc, to secure the web address during what Domain.com is referring to as the “Landrush phase.” If multiple people request the same domain, an auction on Oct. 7 will determine its owner. After that, the domains will become available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The Big Apple becomes the first American city to brand its own top level domain (TLD), after the .nyc extension was approved by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) in May 2013. The goal, according to supporters , is to help local businesses brand themselves and spur economic growth.
“Anyone who’s ever visited Manhattan knows that the city transmits a certain lively entrepreneurial energy that’s catching and contagious,” says Brian Unruh, General Manager for Domain.com. “New York City represents unlimited possibility. This first ever .NYC Landrush is a momentous, once-in-a-generation opportunity for New Yorkers to indelibly link themselves to the official history and future of New York,” adds Unruh.
Indeed, the .nyc campaign is a marketing tool that local entrepreneurs and startups can leverage for immediate credibility while cultivating a sense of community through city pride.
But the initiative also benefits the city, which will receive 40 percent of revenue, or $3.6 million during the initial five-year contract period, Information Week reports. Creating a local extension is an easy marketing opportunity for more cities generate revenue while promoting business growth.
New York joins Paris, London and Berlin in owning a domain extension. Which U.S. city will be next?
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