Hostpoint now accepting registration applications for .swiss domains from private individuals
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Rapperswil-Jona (ots)
Until now, domains ending in .swiss were almost exclusively reserved for companies with an entry in the commercial register. According to the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM), the long-awaited opening of the market for private individuals is set for April 2024. Hostpoint is now accepting applications for the registration of .swiss domains from private customers.
The generic top-level domain (TLD) .swiss, which is issued by the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM), will see the most important change since its introduction in 2015. Whereas domains ending in .swiss were previously reserved for companies with an entry in the commercial register and public-sector bodies, access to this exclusive ending will soon be open to private individuals as well.
OFCOM had already announced prospective plans to open the top-level domain in the first half of 2024 last year. The registry nic.swiss (a division of OFCOM) has now announced that registration applications from natural persons will start being reviewed and approved from April 24, 2024, provided the registration conditions have been met.
Among other conditions, the desired domain name must contain an official name (e.g. first name, surname, combined surname) or a recognized artist name of the applicant, and the applicant must have a valid residential address in Switzerland. However, it is also possible for Swiss nationals living abroad to register .swiss domains. For more information about the registration conditions for private individuals, please visit our Support Center.
The opening of access to .swiss domains for private individuals is expected to generate high demand. For this reason, Hostpoint is already offering customers the opportunity to search and apply for their desired domain via hostpoint.ch. These applications will be collected and then submitted to the registry nic.swiss on April 24, 2024. Hostpoint has no influence over the definitive allocation of the desired .swiss domains as this is handled exclusively by OFCOM. The exact provisions governing the allocation process can be viewed on the website of the registry ( nic.swiss).
Unique opportunity to secure one's own name as a domain
As many popular terms are already taken in the TLD .ch, which remains much more well known and widespread in Switzerland, the opening of .swiss offers a unique opportunity for many. Private individuals will now have the chance to secure a long-desired domain name after all.
Hostpoint is the leading Swiss domain registrar and manages more than one million domains. As Switzerland's first web hosting provider, Hostpoint received official accreditation from ICANN in 2013 and is now the largest provider of .ch domains on the market. Hostpoint offers all available TLDs and has been an officially listed registrar for .swiss domains since their introduction.
Demonstrating Swissness with .swiss domain
The generic TLD .swiss was introduced by OFCOM in 2015. By registering a .swiss domain, companies and organizations had the opportunity to demonstrate their affinity for Switzerland. But acquiring a .swiss domain is not just a good idea for the Swissness factor, but also strengthens brand protection in the digital space and is an ideal addition to a domain portfolio (for example alongside .ch and .com).
While the demand for .swiss domains is steadily rising, there is still plenty of potential for business customers as well. According to nic.swiss, only roughly 27,000 .swiss domain names have been registered to date (as of December 2023). With the forthcoming opening of the market to private customers, many companies would be well advised to take advantage of the still restricted access to secure their company names as .swiss domains before April.
Contact:
For more information, please contact:
Mauro Landolt, Head of Communication
Hostpoint AG, Neue Jonastrasse 60, CH-8640 Rapperswil-Jona
media@hostpoint.ch
Hostpoint - Switzerland's leading cloud provider for hosting, domains and e-mail
With more than 20 years of experience, Hostpoint is the largest web hosting provider and leading domain registrar in Switzerland. Hostpoint offers simple solutions from a single source - for domains, websites, online stores, and e-mail. As an ICANN-accredited domain registrar, Hostpoint manages more than a million domain names. With its ultramodern infrastructure and servers located in Switzerland, Hostpoint ensures the stable operation of more than 300,000 Swiss websites and around 750,000 e-mail accounts every day. With the best support in the industry, Hostpoint provides direct, professional, and efficient customer care in four languages, 7 days a week and free of charge. The fully owner-operated company based in Rapperswil-Jona SG has over 90 employees.