Dot.Org Domain Name Usage Increasing Worldwide

Registrations of the .ORG Internet domain name used by Not for Profits around the world has reached 9.6 million users, according to a new report – with Australia in the Top Ten users.

The Public Interest Registry, which manages the domain name, has released the results of its bi-annual domain name report, "The Dashboard " detailing what it says is the robust growth of .ORG during the second half of 2011.

Overall, .ORG registrations grew by 9.9 per cent in 2011, reaching 9.6 million total domains under management by the end of 2011-a net gain of 411,002 for the second half of the year.

The report says .ORG has maintained consistent growth between nine and 10 per cent annually for the past three years with the renewal rate of existing .ORG websites for the second half of 2011 was 75.4 per cent.

North America and Europe continue to represent the regions with the most .ORG registrations, with Australia, China and Japan also making the top 10 country list for the second half of 2011.

"With Internet usage continuing to surge worldwide, and individuals and organisations alike placing even greater importance on doing good and promoting their passions online, it's no surprise that .ORG continued to see consistent and substantial growth during the second half of 2011," Brian Cute, chief executive of The Public Interest Registry said.

Pro Bono Australia reported last week that PIR is pursuing the new domain extension, .NGO 

PIR describes the initiative as a major opportunity for non-governmental organizations (NGOs), a community that depends on those three letters to set itself apart from commercial or governmental bodies.

The .ORG domain is the Internet's third largest "generic" or non-country specific top-level domain. The Public Interest Registry was founded by the Internet Society in 2002. It is based in Reston, Virginia, USA.

The report can be found here (PDF).