.nz registrations hit 200K

Internet NZ announced today that the number of domain names listed on the .nz Register had just reached 200,000.

Commenting on achieving this significant milestone with domain name registrations, Dr Frank March, Chair of the InternetNZ .nz Oversight Committee (NZOC) says, “We’ve all been delighted at how fast the two hundred thousand figure has come round. On 8 April last year the number hit 150,000; the last 12 months has seen over 30,000 names added to the registry, that’s colossal growth.”

Whilst the Office of the Domain Name Commissioner and the NZOC took over the oversight of the .nz register in October 2002, the register itself goes back to the early 1990’s when in March of ’94 it stood at just 272. Since then growth has been exponential and in recent years has averaged 20% a year.

Says Dr March, “The shift to a competitive environment in 2002, including the implementation of a Shared Registry System has proven to be a very worthwhile move for the industry. This latest figure of 200,000 endorses the fact we now have an industry that has never been healthier nor more robust.”

Asked about his expectations for future growth Dr March added that for some time he had expected the rate of growth to flatten but that it hasn’t happened yet, “At this rate it looks like we could be celebrating 250,000 in the not too distant future!”