Minds + Machines

Over the last few months we’ve been assisting CoCCA founder Garth Miller to help developing-nation country-code top-level domains upgrade their knowledge and infrastructure through the Minds + Machines Capacity Building and Grant Program. This program has so far funded regional workshops in southern Africa and the airfares to attend them, along with knowledge-transfer programs between regional ccTLDs. In addition, as we continue to improve the Espresso registry platform, we have introduced Espresso CC for country-code top-level domains, a high-quality EPP registry services platform for ccTLDs.

Today we’re happy to announce that Madagascar (.MG) has upgraded to the Espresso CC (country-code) registry platform.

To quote from the news page at CoCCA:

The Madagascar Network Information Center ( NIC-MG ) has completed their migration to the Espresso CC EPP registry platform…. NIC-MG has deployed a state of the art registry system, deployed a Whois server and is in the process of requesting ICANN update the the .mg ROOT-SERVER records to include anycast technology for maximum redundancy.

NIC-MG registry system will soon have off-site fail-over and escrow. DNSSEC is being studied with a view to deploy in the first quarter of 2010.

The changes in the technology being utilized by NIC-MG will be accompanied by a review of policy and procedures to address abuse of intellectual property rights, cyber-crime and protection of the public interest. The new system will allow local 24/7 registration and updates through various registrars, local ISP’s and other technology companies.

Minds + Machines has signed a long-term deal with Packet Clearing House (PCH) to supply Machines customers with world-class DNS with full support for IPv6, DNS Security, and Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs). DNS will be supplied to Minds + Machines customers at no additional cost. In addition, PCH will assure that Minds + Machines DNS are carbon and energy neutral, and do not contribute to global warming.

Here’s the press release:

Minds + Machines signs long-term agreement with Packet Clearing House (PCH) to supply high-quality DNS

Sydney, Australia, June 20, 2009 – Minds + Machines, a leading provider of top-level domain registry services, and Packet Clearing House (PCH), a leading provider of DNS services, today announced a long-term arrangement to provide DNS for Minds + Machines clients. The combination of Minds + Machines’ newly-built DNS centers and PCH’s existing DNS constellation will provide world-class DNS with full support for IPv6, DNS Security, and Internationalized Domain Names. Local and global service will be provided from more than fifty locations throughout the developed and developing world. DNS will be provided to Minds + Machines customers at no additional cost.
As part of the agreement, PCH will implement Minds + Machines commitment to the environment by ensuring that DNS services provided to Minds + Machines are carbon and energy neutral, and do not contribute to global warming.

“PCH is the gold standard for DNS,” said Antony Van Couvering, CEO of Minds + Machines. “We are delighted to have been able to reach this comprehensive agreement to provide the best DNS to our customers while keeping to our commitment to protect the environment. We look forward to a long relationship with an outstanding organization.”

“In reaching a long-term agreement with Minds + Machines, we are teaming up with an innovative company that cares about its customers and the future of both the Internet and the planet,” said Bill Woodcock, Director of Research at PCH. “We were impressed by their level of commitment and delighted to have this opportunity to build the first carbon and energy balanced DNS network. We are very pleased to be working with Minds + Machines.”

Minds + Machines works internationally with companies, cities, not-for-profits and entrepreneurs to secure and operate new web addresses, known as top-level domains (TLDs). Minds + Machines provides the comprehensive application preparation services necessary to acquire a new TLD, as well as a robust, scalable registry hardware and software platform, used by over twenty TLDs worldwide today. Minds + Machines is know for its customer-friendly approach that is specifically designed to make the process of acquiring and operating new TLDs more accessible, more reliable and less expensive.

Packet Clearing House is a non-profit research institute that supports operations and analysis in the areas of Internet traffic exchange, routing economics, and global network development. Originally formed in 1994 to provide efficient regional and local network interconnection alternatives for the west coast of the United States, PCH has since grown to become the leading proponent of neutral independent network interconnection and provider of services at exchange points worldwide.

Minds + Machines client Dot Eco LLC released a short film today at the ICANN meeting in Sydney, featuring well-known environmental advocates who support the new .ECO top-level domain.

Included are cameos from former Vice President and Nobel Prize winner Al Gore; Carl Pope, Executive Director of the Sierra Club; Jim Moriarty, CEO of Surfrider; Jim Dufour of the Scripps Institute of Oceanography; Davis Guggenheim, director of the film An Inconvenient Truth; Richard Muller, popular author and Professor of Physics at University of California Berkeley; Roz Savage, the British transocean rower; and Sir Roger Moore, actor and Unicef Goodwill Ambassador.

The film comes in a short and a long version, available in high quality from Vimeo.

Here’s the press release from Dot Eco:

Dot Eco LLC Debuts Short Film In Support of .eco Web Address Featuring: Former Former Vice President Al Gore, Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope, & Other Leaders in the Environmental Community

Sydney, Australia, June 20 – On the opening day of the ICANN Conference, Dot Eco LLC –- the organization dedicated to promoting the acceptance and implementation of the .eco top-level domain -– debuted a short film that features environmental leaders endorsing Dot Eco’s application to operate the .eco web address. Examples of other top-level domains include .com, .biz, .org and .edu.

The Dot Eco LLC film features former U.S. Vice President Al Gore stating: “For more than three decades I have been trying to raise awareness about the very real and growing threat of the climate crisis. Today, as part of this effort, I am here to propose a new top-level domain called “dot eco” for corporate, non-governmental, and individual environmental websites.”

Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope states: “We’re delighted to put our support and endorsement behind Dot Eco… Your customers, your friends, and your colleagues will know that you’re putting your address where your values are – at Dot Eco.”

The film also features avid endorsements from Jim Moriarty, CEO of Surfrider Foundation; Davis Guggenheim, Director of “An Inconvenient Truth”; Richard Muller, Professor of Physics at UC Berkeley and contributor to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; and Roger Moore, actor and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador; as well as others.

To view the film, please click here: http://www.supportdoteco.com/video

A .eco web address will allow individuals to express their support for environmental causes, companies to promote their own environmental initiatives, and environmental organizations to maintain their websites in a namespace relevant to their core mission. By charter and mission, a majority of Dot Eco profits will be distributed to support environmental causes.

“The Dot Eco initiative has earned the official support of leading scientists, ecological and philanthropic groups, as well as high-profile environmentally conscious individuals,” says Fred Krueger, founder of Dot Eco. “This film highlights their passion for this important effort.”

About Dot Eco LLC

Dot Eco LLC was founded by Fred Krueger, Clark Landry and Minor Childers to secure, operate and promote the .eco top-level domain in order to advance environmental initiatives and awareness. Dot Eco LLC will be applying for the .eco top level domain through the ICANN gTLD application process.

The complete manual for Espresso, our registry platform, is now available online. The online manual features each and every screen that a new top-level domain registry operator will use in day-to-day administration, along with helpful explanatory appendices and diagrams. As Espresso evolves and improves, the manual will be updated as well.

Please, have a look at the Espresso manual. Comments and questions welcome.