How digital real estate helped New York become a truly digital city

Business, fashion, art, technology, food, finance, and culture, New York City (NYC) has always been synonymous with innovation–a city with its finger on the pulse.

When the opportunity arose for forward-thinking cities around the world to claim a piece of priceless digital real estate–a web extension that matches the name of the city–New York was among the first to take advantage.

The opportunity: a global innovation

In 2012, the global Internet regulator, the International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), created a special limited process to allow for the creation of new Top-Level Domains (TLDs). This meant that, for the first time, cities around the world could apply for the chance to control their own web extension, like .com or .net, but instead using their city name as the URL ending to the right of the dot.

The goal was deceptively simple: to create more choice, more competition and more opportunity for innovation for businesses and brands around the world.

Along with other global leaders like Paris, London, Berlin and Tokyo, NYC claimed its own city web extension. As a result, New Yorkers now have the ability to create high-impact web names for their business or brand–names like digital.nyc, we.nyc and ferry.nyc, etc.

“This was an opportunity to create a digital community that mirrored the physical community,” explains Jeff Merritt, Former Director of Innovation, City of New York. “The most rewarding thing is when you see it in action. When you are in New York and hop on the subway you will see start-ups whose websites now end in .nyc. It has launched new businesses because as a brand they could identify themselves with New York in a concise way that had pop to it.”

The vision: building a new online home for New York

New York City was and is one of the strongest city brands in the world. Since gaining momentum when Michael Bloomberg became mayor in 2002, the city has become the nation’s industrial, commercial and financial hub, with a view to being “the incubator for new ideas and innovation.”

To support its extraordinary offline brand, the city wanted to create an official web address exclusively for the use of the people, businesses and brands of NYC. The goal was to give New Yorkers the ability to connect and do business through a shared location, and to showcase their affiliation with NYC as an enviable component of their success.

For the City of New York, this was an unprecedented opportunity to facilitate innovation, build communities, support local business, increase tourism, attract investment and be a true digital leader.

“Our .nyc domain personalises our service and helps us demonstrate that we are a hyper local NYC resource,” explains Ashley Trenni, Co-Founder, justfixit.nyc. “It is important for us to know that individuals seeking support know that they are connecting to people working in their neighbourhood or city.”

The process: making .nyc a reality

The road to .nyc began in 2009, with a range of pre-application preparation and the search for an expert partner to assist the city through the process–ultimately settling on industry expert Neustar. The application had to clearly demonstrate NYC’s plans for .nyc–covering everything from technical capabilities, to security and abuse mitigation, to pricing and business models. The city had to decide who would be eligible for a .nyc domain name, how they would purchase them, when they would be made available and how these policies would be upheld.

With Neustar’s assistance, the city built a thorough roadmap around the core principles of building an online community reflective of the creativity, diversity and grit of New Yorkers–and protecting the integrity of this community for the benefit of its members.

“Governments we work with around the world soon realise that owning an asset like .nyc requires a robust strategy that creates effective mechanisms to protect the community, yet simultaneously stimulates growth and innovation,” says Tony Kirsch, Head of Professional Services, Neustar Inc. “A focus on creating supportive policy frameworks and governance structures is the key to achieving positive long-term outcomes.”

The outcome: .nyc hits the streets of New York

In May of 2014, the initial launch phases for .nyc web addresses were opened, paving the way for trademark owners to claim their marks and for some of the more hotly-contested domains to be settled fairly between interested parties.

In October 2014, marked by an all-day event in NYC’s Flatiron Plaza, .nyc finished its launch phases and .nyc web addresses became available to the general public.

Today, there are over 70,000 .nyc domains registered by New Yorkers. They’re sold by more than 45 world-leading domain name retailers (think Go Daddy, web.com etc.) and are monitored, protected and supported by Neustar’s best-in-class technical and security infrastructure.

More importantly, thousands of NYC locals, businesses and brands have claimed .nyc web addresses to tell their uniquely New York story online to other New Yorkers–and to the whole world. Great examples of .nyc domain names can be seen everywhere–from billboards and bus shelters, to television ads, to store fronts and subway advertisements.

The annual Best of the Boroughs competition highlights some of the most innovative, unique and impactful .nyc websites across the city as part of the www.bestof.nyc campaign.

“We couldn’t be more pleased with the success that .nyc has brought to the city,” reveals Lori Anne Wardi, General Manager, .nyc. “Today’s entrepreneurs and local business now understand that .nyc is the best way to align their initiatives with the city as it instantly connects them to the powerful brand that is New York.”

How your city can get its own web extension

The next application round is likely to attract hundreds of cities who missed their chance in 2012. That’s where working with industry experts like Neustar, which have successfully completed the process for other clients, comes in handy. We’ll guide you through the process, ensuring all your materials are in order and your city puts its smartest foot forward.

“The nice thing about the domain space, is cities don’t have to have expertise or know the nitty gritty,” says Jeff Merritt, Former Director of Innovation, City of New York. “There are companies like Neustar that are experts and have done this time and time again. When you find a partner like Neustar, you can take all the technical details off the table and focus on the vision.”

If you’re ready to join the global movement and learn more about becoming a Digital City, visit www.digitalcity.neustar for more information.

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