THE MISSION AND PURPOSE OF THE NEW RESTRICTED .BOSCH gTLD IS TO BENEFIT INTERNET USERS BY ENSURING INCREASED TRUST AND CONSUMER CONFIDENCE THROUGH THE ASSURANCE OF BRAND AUTHENTICITY. The .bosch gTLD will be a new generation gTLD serving the interests of end users by providing an authoritative... Read more
THE MISSION AND PURPOSE OF THE NEW RESTRICTED .BOSCH gTLD IS TO BENEFIT INTERNET USERS BY ENSURING INCREASED TRUST AND CONSUMER CONFIDENCE THROUGH THE ASSURANCE OF BRAND AUTHENTICITY.
The .bosch gTLD will be a new generation gTLD serving the interests of end users by providing an authoritative Internet space where information, services and resources of Robert Bosch GmbH (Bosch) and its partners, franchisees and subsidiaries will be closely controlled by Bosch. The majority of the anticipated domain name registrations in the .bosch gTLD will be used in the sales, marketing and communication of Bosch products and services. .bosch gTLD will allow Bosch to maintain their strong online brand presence.
The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. In the areas of automotive and industrial technology, consumer goods, and building technology, more than 285,000 associates generated sales of more than 47.3 billion euros in 2010 fiscal year. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its more than 350 subsidiaries and regional companies in over 60 countries. Together with the Bosch Group's global sales and service partners, Bosch is represented in roughly 150 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network is the foundation for further growth. Bosch invested 3.8 billion euros for research and development in 2010, and applied for over 3,800 patents worldwide. With all its products and services, Bosch enhances the quality of life by providing solutions which are both innovative and beneficial.
Business activities are increasingly conducted over the internet, allowing for greater levels of interaction between businesses and customers. As a result, both businesses and end users benefit from ease of interaction and a wider range of choices with lower transaction costs. The .bosch domain name will facilitate greater trust and assurance from internet users connecting with Bosch online, whilst still allowing convenient and efficient interaction.
Bosch's mission and purpose of the proposed new gTLD share ICANN's initiatives to promote public interest. Bosch is committed to contribute towards achieving such initiatives in line with ICANN's Affirmation of Commitments, which includes:
- consumer trust: the .bosch gTLD registry will be operated in a centralised manner with a restrictive registration policy. Registration of domain names will only be available to Bosch, its partners, franchisees and subsidiaries, which will provide added consumer trust that .bosch domain names are trustworthy. As .bosch domain names are subject to registration standards, policies and procedures under Bosch's control, this eliminates the possibility of malicious conduct within the .bosch domain space;
- competition: the proposed new gTLD is not intended to instigate competition and consumer choice among prospective registrants. Instead it is anticipated to contribute to such initiatives through its operation focussed on promoting consumer trust. Increased trust in .bosch gTLD will drive existing and new top level domain (TLD) registry operators to make improvements in mechanisms to improve consumer trust of their TLDs; and
- consumer choice: the proposed new gTLD will enable user-driven improvements and innovations assisting Bosch's marketing efforts through its ability to create new second and third level domain names on demand. These names will provide the consumers with more choices for interacting with Bosch. As Bosch has effective control over the registration and use of domain names under .bosch domain space, this will also contribute towards general service innovations on the internet.
Given the restricted nature of the .bosch gTLD, the projected number of registrations is likely to be limited. It is anticipated that a limited number of domain names (approximately 50) will be registered in the first year. However, over the next few years, the registration may increase to around 200 domain names. As Bosch gains insight into user experiences towards the new gTLD, the number of registrations will increase to utilise the .bosch domain names in the sales and marketing activities of the company.
As the new .bosch gTLD expands and evolves, Bosch will continue to comply with all operational, technical and policy requirements, as well as maintaining consumer trust and the stability of the internet. Bosch will keep ICANN reasonably informed of any material developments relating to .bosch gTLD including compliance with the continued operations instrument obligations as set out in Specification 8 of the Registry Agreement.
Bosch will be able to create relevant domain names for use including product, services names in the second or third level domain names. At a later stage, Bosch may also use geographic names and Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) at the second level in accordance with registration policies and the proposed measures for protection of geographic names as outlined in response to Question 22. The use of geographic names and IDNs are intended to:
- connect internet users with relevant information as applicable to the territory;
- comply with required rules and regulations in the national territory; and
- allow internet users to engage with .bosch in their native language, creating a more positive user experience and encouraging diversity.
Bosch is a well-recognised global brand with its trademarks registered in over 180 countries and territories for the categories, including but not limited to: automotive parts, machines and machine tools, power tools, thermotechnic appliances and security appliances. Furthermore, Bosch has 215 existing domain names containing an exact match to the ‘Bosch' trademark.
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