If you think that .CORPORATION as an extension is too long or if .INC doesn't suit your business, then maybe .CORP will! With the new domain extensions being released this year, businesses will have more options to choose from on which extension represents them best on the Internet.

The .CORP extension is going to be great for small businesses because, like .INC, of how people associate the word corporation with large business conglomerates. For a small business and being able to secure a .CORP domain, it gives your business a certain level of confidence.

How can you use this extension?

If the .CORP suits your company better than the other business extensions, then just use your name and register YourName.CORP. Your re-branded and re-named domain now matches your company name!

Again, for those who still love your .COM or .CA name, having a .CORP domain can still be useful to you. There is a method called domain forwarding, which simply re-directs anyone who types in your .CORP domain to your .COM or .CA website. It's a convenient and easy way to keep your customers happy.

Pre-Register NOW

Make sure to pre-register for this gTLD and any other extensions you might be interested in by heading over to www.webnames.ca/pre-registration.

Pre-registering is free, there is no commitment to buy the domain at this point and you'll be the first to know when your selected pre-registration become available.

All gTLD information is readily available for all individuals. You can access information on this gTLD by going to the .CORP gTLD page which will be updated regularly as more details become available.

PRISM sounds like an acronym from the cold war.  I think about Get Smart or Man from UNCLE; secret handshakes and the dome of silence.  The difference now is that the top spies are spying on us. 

By now, I suppose everyone has heard about the National Security Agency surveillance programmes revealed by Edward Snowden last week.  My guess is that Google and Microsoft and others were likely acting in compliance with the US Patriot Act rather than being involved in a conspiracy with the US Government as some in the media have implied. No matter how you look at it, those @hotmail and @gmail accounts are being reviewed by American security spies.

Does Webnames.ca email provide better personal security than gmail or hotmail? As far as we know, the answer is yes.  Webnames.ca email is exclusively hosted in Canada, so if the US Government came to us and asked to get access to our servers we would respectfully decline their request. So far - thankfully - Webnames.ca has never been asked by any government group to provide them access to your data.  

Some of the conspiracy theorists may speculate that the spy guys may have secret arrangements with server facilities in Canada or that there are secret decoder pens that can sniff encrypted data, but that is more likely material for the next James Bond movie. 

It is important to remember that the NSA issue has been around server access and not sniffing.  When an email is sent in plain text it can be intercepted by a third party unless it is encrypted.  All Webnames.ca email supports encrypted HTTPS and while it is possible to setup and access Webnames.ca email with plain text, we don't recommend it.  When an email has left our servers with https, it is encrypted to the same standard that banks use for online banking. 

If you are using webmail you should be logging into: https://securemail.webnames.ca and if you are using Webnames.ca email through an email client like MS Outlook you should configure your email for https. Configuration details here. 

Take a look at the new Webnames.ca Professional email products available in 2GB and 10GB configurations. https://www.webnames.ca/email/email-hosting.aspx

We love to hear from you.  Give us a call toll free at 1-866-221-7878 or email us at support@webnames.ca  

Below are our "top picks" from this week's CIRA TBR (to-be-released) domains list.

The TBR for June 19th has lots of great names, so pre-book your favourite .CA domains early.

We publish a "top picks" list each week after CIRA publishes its latest batch of expiring dot-CA domains. CIRA adds more domains to the TBR list each day until the date of release, so you may want to check the CIRA TBR for new selections.

Our favourite names from the list are in bold below.

abdominals.ca
builderzone.ca
calming.ca
canadabeer.ca
canadawine.ca
carcheap.ca
cardiscounts.ca
cityshopper.ca
colorado.ca
coppers.ca
encouraging.ca
ethanol.ca
hks.ca
ikm.ca
impermium.ca
launchrock.ca
lightingshops.ca
listmaker.ca
localsearching.ca
makeables.ca
millennial.ca
mobilecentral.ca
moneychannel.ca
motivatingteens.ca
mouthstick.ca
nametrust.ca
naturalbc.ca
newstandard.ca
ourlegacies.ca
pacificstream.ca
passioncafe.ca
photolight.ca
platinumfive.ca
playbox.ca
publicdisclosure.ca
quikprint.ca
redball.ca
renovates.ca
resourcepros.ca
sedate.ca
soundbites.ca
ticketshops.ca
toptrailers.ca
unleash.ca

These domains are available for pre-booking NOW at Webnames.ca, and will be released by CIRA on Wednesday, June 19, 2013!

To pre-book a To-Be-Released .CA domain from the above list:

1) Go to Webnames.ca's To-Be-Released .CA Domains page.

2) Find and click on the domain(s) you wish to pre-book and they will be added to your cart.

3) Review your shopping cart. Login or create a Webnames.ca account. Complete your transaction as though you were registering new domain(s).

Or,

Look up the domain you wish to pre-book in the Webnames.ca WHOIS. On your WHOIS search result page you will be asked "Do you want to pre-book this domain," select "yes" to proceed.

If your pre-book is successful you will be notified by CIRA after the Wednesday registration period. Within 24 hours of receiving this notification, Webnames.ca will charge your credit card for successfully registered domains.

Note: You will only be charged for pre-booked domains that are successfully registered.

If you have any questions about the TBR pre-booking process, or want help completing your pre-book, simply contact support@webnames.ca or call 1-866-221-7878.

We are pleased to announce that our email plans just got even better. Our new, Canadian hosted, secure email plans, will keep your information safe, while branding you every time you hit send.

















We know how important staying in-touch securely is for small and medium-sized businesses so we are providing our customers with two robust plans that provide connectivity and a wide-array of collaboration tools.

While our Business Email was a huge success, we felt that we needed to expand our email service to support the needs of Canadian businesses. Designed with entrepreneurs and SMEs in mind, the new Professional Email plan looks to provide everything that customers need to jump-start their businesses and maintain growth.

Starting at $1.95 per month, look professional to all your clients and prospective clients with a personalized email address.

Other features included in Professional Email include:

• Hosted right here in Canada! - Keep it local. Take comfort in knowing that Webnames.ca email servers are located in Canada and all Webnames.ca email supports https data encryption at no extra cost. Plus, purchasing in Canada also means you can quickly connect with our customer support team, whenever you need technical assistance.


• More Storage space - Get at least an additional 1GB more with Professional Email, for a total of 2GB of storage. Keep important emails and other correspondence with your clients, team members and colleagues.


• Access your email, anywhere - Access your email on your smartphone or on any computer at any time.
  


• Reliable and Secure - We know that accidents happen and Webnames.ca ensures your emails are all backed up, just in case. Your Email is also spam free with our industry leading firewalls securing your account. Our firewalls virtually eliminate all forms of spam and keep your identity and information secure from online threats.   

To learn more about the new Webnames.ca's new Email Plans, visit www.webnames.ca/email.

On Tuesday, June 25, Brooke Oberwetter, Associate Manager, Policy Communications at Facebook will be speaking at the Vancouver Board of Trade for 'Facebook: How to Drive Revenue' event and Webnames.ca is proud to be a media sponsor.

With more than one billion users worldwide, Facebook presents an enormous opportunity for businesses to reach consumers in new markets. Small businesses across Canada are already using Facebook to connect with customers and respond to their wants and needs - but is your company doing everything it can?

This presentation will guide attendees through the three key steps to small business success on Facebook - be discoverable, find customers and build relationships - including how to apply those lessons to a mobile web strategy.

Oberwetter will also cover best practices, while sharing examples of small businesses using Facebook to increase traffic to their stores, convert visitors on their website, build brand awareness, and engage with their communities.

Don't miss this opportunity to take your Facebook experience to the next level.

Register for this event here.

For more information on The Vancouver Board of Trade, visit their website at www.boardoftrade.com.

Private Auctions for gTLD Applications Commence - The first private auction has taken place to resolve contention among multiple applicants for six gTLDs: .club, .college, .luxury, .photography, .red, and .vote. Also Antony van Couvering, CEO of Minds + Machines, has written an article on why he prefers a private auction to one run by ICANN.

ICANN Board Responds to GAC Advice on New gTLDs - The ICANN Board, through its New gTLD Program Committee (NGPC), has been working its way through the formal advice submitted by the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) in April. On June 4, it accepted a number of items including rejection of a number of gTLD applications, and agreeing to reconsider an earlier decision to allow single and plural versions of a string as a TLD name.

Picks To Click

• During an applicant update webinar (see slides [PDF]) held on June 5, ICANN provided information on such items as progress on initial evaluation of gTLD applications, pre-delegation testing, and Trademark Clearinghouse activity.

Timeline

• Mon, Jul 1: .org, .net registry fees increase
• Sun, Jul 14 - Thu, Jul 18: ICANN meetings in Durban, South Africa.
• Mon, Jul 29 - Mon, Aug 12: call for Member Nominees for CIRA Board election
• Wed, Aug 21 - Wed, Sep 4: shows of support for Member Nominees for CIRA election
• Sun, Sep 1: .biz, .info registry fees increase
• Mon, Sep 9 - Mon, Sep 16: online forum for CIRA Board of Directors election
• Mon, Sep 16: CIRA Annual General Meeting in Montreal
• Mon, Sep 16 - Mon, Sep 23: CIRA Board of Directors election

Below are our "top picks" from this week's CIRA TBR (to-be-released) domains list.

The TBR for June 12th has lots of great names, so pre-book your favourite .CA domains early.

We publish a "top picks" list each week after CIRA publishes its latest batch of expiring dot-CA domains. CIRA adds more domains to the TBR list each day until the date of release, so you may want to check the CIRA TBR for new selections.

Our favourite names from the list are in bold below.

addicitinggames.ca
adventurecity.ca
adverb.ca
animaltrainers.ca
balanceddiet.ca
ballz.ca
bikelovers.ca
blogfood.ca
brewcanada.ca
brokencode.ca
canadianpictures.ca
citydeal.ca
coachable.ca
cobras.ca
conceptimage.ca
dealnation.ca
dealsguide.ca
dqh.ca
equitybuilder.ca
eventmasters.ca
eventsplace.ca
foodstyle.ca
gameplans.ca
gasps.ca
inknation.ca
mediaoutlet.ca
metered.ca
mobiletaxi.ca
naturesgate.ca
pagelink.ca
placebo.ca
prospering.ca
resortpackage.ca
smarthotels.ca
startupbc.ca
superlock.ca
tics.ca
tutored.ca
unload.ca
veneration.ca
vexation.ca
vintagetruck.ca
westwing.ca
zester.ca

These domains are available for pre-booking NOW at Webnames.ca, and will be released by CIRA on Wednesday, June 12, 2013!

To pre-book a To-Be-Released .CA domain from the above list:

1) Go to Webnames.ca's To-Be-Released .CA Domains page.

2) Find and click on the domain(s) you wish to pre-book and they will be added to your cart.

3) Review your shopping cart. Login or create a Webnames.ca account. Complete your transaction as though you were registering new domain(s).

Or,

Look up the domain you wish to pre-book in the Webnames.ca WHOIS. On your WHOIS search result page you will be asked "Do you want to pre-book this domain," select "yes" to proceed.

If your pre-book is successful you will be notified by CIRA after the Wednesday registration period. Within 24 hours of receiving this notification, Webnames.ca will charge your credit card for successfully registered domains.

Note: You will only be charged for pre-booked domains that are successfully registered.

If you have any questions about the TBR pre-booking process, or want help completing your pre-book, simply contact support@webnames.ca or call 1-866-221-7878.

Webnames.ca is giving away one year of Web Hosting each month this summer, to our friends on Facebook!

Entering is easy:

1. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/webnames to reveal the contest entry form.
2. Go to the contest entry form and fill out your information.
3. Select 'Enter Now'

We'll be selecting one winner each month!

Questions? Call us at 1-866-221-7878 or email support@webnames.ca

Make sure you read the contest Terms and Conditions.

The Internet is an integral part of our society, and continues to be a great research tool that can be accessible anywhere around the world. Since the internet is accessible to anyone, it presents potential risks that "hackers" can exploit.

Here are a few internet safety tips directly from our customer support team member, Sean Lavasani about how to keep yourself secure online.

THINK ABOUT YOUR PASSWORD:

Use a safe password that doesn't have an "easy or simple" ring to it, example; jsmith1234, this will be easily guessed by people trying to ''hack'' accounts. Your Username and Password should be difficult enough to not be easily guessed, but also have something that will make it easy for you to remember. So don't choose ''Webnames1243'' Choose ''W36NaAA35''. Can you see how I spelled out ''Webnames'' but with numbers and letters? If you're having trouble remembering your passwords, you can use password managers to keep track of them online. A safe and secure site for this application is dashlane.com. Otherwise, you can also keep track of your passwords by setting up a spreadsheet on your personal computer.

UP TO DATE CONTACT INFORMATION:

One thing we often see is that people seem to forget to have all their contact information up to date. Last thing we would want is someone getting a hold of an old email account that you no longer use. Since malicious people don't keep up with your daily changes they will have a hard time knowing that you have a new email address but it will be easy for them to 'fish out'' info from an old one that you're no longer using but left active.

KEEP YOUR DETAILS PRIVATE:

Try not to give out your information to your colleagues, friends, web designers or if you're leaving the company. Webnames.ca has protocols in place to help your transit out of an account and give authority to a new user or give limited access to another user in place.

BE ALERT WHEN CONNECTED TO WI-FI HOTSPOTS:

Always use caution when you are connecting to any Wi-Fi access point. Make sure the Wi-Fi you are trying to connect to is from a valid source, if not I strongly suggest not to connect to random Wi-Fi networks. Wi-Fi hotpots like coffee shops, libraries, and universities are all easily accessible for hackers to gain entry to your accounts. I urge consumers to be widely cautious before using any non-secure wireless networks before sending personal information, as other users on the same network are able to see what is being sent.

AVOID MISLEADING LINKS:

We've all experienced receiving misleading links whether it is from your "friends" hacked email account or on your social network feeds.  Misleading links can harm your computer as soon as you click on the URL, as hackers generally put false statements to intrigue the customer and get them to click on the link. As soon as you click, a virus could potentially be downloaded to your computer, removing all anti-virus software, which then makes your computer defenseless to all virus attacks. Unfortunately there are no solutions this time to protect you from misleading links. Pay attention before you click!


The internet is at its highest peak when it comes to security threats and challenges, thus leaving us with no option but to be overly cautious and only hope we're not victims of an internet scam. The plain truth is that any computer connected to the internet is prone to hackers and viruses, thus applying these safety tips would be beneficial to not only you, but people that are connected around you.

If you want to learn more, give our customer support team a call. We are always here to help at 1-866-221-7878.

Webnames.ca President and Co-Founder Cybele Negris' new article "Brand and Trademark Protection Has Become Increasingly Complex in Today's Digital World" is now available on the Business in Vancouver magazine. In this article, she talks about what business owners and executives need to know about protecting your brand and trademark with the launch of the new domain extensions and the trademark clearinghouse.

With the arrival of social media, brand protection becomes even more complicated. Even if businesses aren't fully engaged on social media, it should at least strive to protect its names on the big social media networks. For businesses with a wide-array of brands and intellectual properties, taking advantage of the Trademark Clearinghouse's (TMCH) registration is critical.

In this article, Cybele further discusses:

• Protecting your name in different social media networks.
• Keeping your brand secure on the Internet.
• Protecting your trademarks safe when the new domain extensions become available with the TMCH.
  

The full article is available on the Business in Vancouver website.

To view past news about Webnames.ca, visit our media page at www.webnames.ca/about/media.

Applications To CIRA's Nomination Committee Close Soon - The CIRA Nomination Committee is seeking qualified individuals to apply to be candidates for this year's CIRA Board of Directors election. Applications close this Thursday, June 6. The Committee will review applications and select a Nomination Committee Slate to be voted on in September by .CA Members. Three Nomination Committee seats are available.

New gTLD Initial Evaluations Continue - The weekly releases of Initial Evaluation results for New gTLD applications continue. To date, the number of applications passing Initial Evaluation has reached 514. Among those passing this week are .homedepot, .forsale, .fox, .nike, and .amex.

CENTR Publishes Report on the State of the Domain Name Industry - The Council of European National Top Level Domain Registries (CENTR) has published a statistics report on the state of the domain name industry. According to the report, during the past 6 months the market share of ccTLDs has risen from 42% to 44% of all domain registrations. The .TK (Tokelau) domain now has the largest number of registrations among all ccTLDs; the report notes that most .TK domains are free. Also, Canada's .CA domain is the 14th largest ccTLD.

Timeline

• Wed, May 8 - Thu, Jun 6: applications to CIRA's Nomination Committee solicited
• Mon, Jul 1: .org, .net registry fees increase
• Sun, Jul 14 - Thu, Jul 18: ICANN meetings in Durban, South Africa.
• Mon, Jul 29 - Mon, Aug 12: call for Member Nominees for CIRA Board election
• Wed, Aug 21 - Wed, Sep 4: shows of support for Member Nominees for CIRA election
• Sun, Sep 1: .biz, .info registry fees increase
• Mon, Sep 9 - Mon, Sep 16: online forum for CIRA Board of Directors election
• Mon, Sep 16: CIRA Annual General Meeting in Montreal
• Mon, Sep 16 - Mon, Sep 23: CIRA Board of Directors election

As a sponsor of the BCIC - New Ventures BC Competition, Webnames.ca would like to congratulate all the companies who have qualified for Rounds 2.5 and 3 of the competition.

Rounds 2, called the Feasibility Test, ended on May 9th. Competitors in this round were required to submit a five-page response to specific questions about their business idea. Judges chose the 15 best ideas to advance to Round 3 and another 27 companies to progress to Round 2.5. Round 2.5 will pair the competitors with a mentor to prepare a presentation before a panel of judges. 

The next step for the remaining companies will be to pair up with a mentor to help them expand their ideas into a condensed business plan - an eight-page response to specific questions.

The 15 companies advancing to Round 3 are:

1. Agile Monitoring Equipment
2. Blackcomb Design Automation
3. Codex Systems Inc.
   
4. Guardian Angels Electronics Ltd.
5. Industrial Plankton Inc.
   
6. Keycafe Inc.
7. Mobibranch - TRG Mobileearth Inc.
   
8. RebateSpace.com
9. Rigid Robotics Inc.
10. Scoop™
11. SmartPager Systems Inc.
    
12. Spokal
13. Two Hat Security Research Inc.
    
14. ViewsIQ Inc.
    
15. Vonigo Software Ltd.

The arrival of the new .INC domain extension may (or may not) be imminent, the ability to create a name that stands out among the millions of other domains out there certainly sounds appealing. While this news is good news for large businesses, this is even better for small businesses. A domain under the new .INC extension can create an added level of professionalism and it also brings a certain appeal to your name.

.INC is going to be great for small businesses, because of how people associate that acronym with large companies. As a small business, having a .INC domain name can bring a certain panache to your business and gain consumer confidence and support.

So, how can you use this extension?

Well, an obvious use for .INC is to register your incorporated company, just use YourName.INC. Voila! You now have your new re-named and re-branded domain.

For those who are still in love with your current .COM or .CA name, register a .INC regardless as  it will be useful to you. Simply forward the .INC to your current domain and save your customers the trouble of having to find your main website.

If you're a business looking for that "special something" for your domain name, then .INC might be right for you. Its short and sweet, and straight to the point.

Pre-Register NOW   

Make sure to pre-register for this gTLD and any other extensions that you might be interested in by heading over to www.webnames.ca/pre-registration.

Pre-registering is free, there is no commitment to buy the domain at this point and you'll be the first to know when your selected pre-registrations become available.

All gTLD information is readily available for all individuals. You can access gTLD information by going to the ICANN gTLD Application Wiki or the .INC gTLD page.

Below are our "top picks" from this week's CIRA TBR (to-be-released) domains list.

The TBR for June 25th has lots of great names, so pre-book your favourite .CA domains early.

We publish a "top picks" list each week after CIRA publishes its latest batch of expiring dot-CA domains. CIRA adds more domains to the TBR list each day until the date of release, so you may want to check the CIRA TBR for new selections.

Our favourite names from the list are in bold below.

actionkids.ca
alkali.ca
assistance.ca
cashtalks.ca
cityblogs.ca
compelling.ca
eventlog.ca
fishingvillage.ca
iwe.ca
kidtropolis.ca
kvk.ca
northerner.ca
nutritiousnation.ca
oxm.ca
paycheques.ca
petcafe.ca
ratesearch.ca
readymail.ca
reinstall.ca
rounded.ca
salesconnections.ca
simplystunning.ca
smalltable.ca
speculators.ca
sportsvancouver.ca
stoneset.ca
surewin.ca
talentbuilders.ca
torontomarathon.ca
trackin.ca
ucu.ca
unhealthy.ca
unmarried.ca
wisetutors.ca
xft.ca
yogurtcafe.ca
zvx.ca


These domains are available for pre-booking NOW at Webnames.ca, and will be released by CIRA on Wednesday, June 5, 2013!

To pre-book a To-Be-Released .CA domain from the above list:

1) Go to Webnames.ca's To-Be-Released .CA Domains page.

2) Find and click on the domain(s) you wish to pre-book and they will be added to your cart.

3) Review your shopping cart. Login or create a Webnames.ca account. Complete your transaction as though you were registering new domain(s).

Or,

Look up the domain you wish to pre-book in the Webnames.ca WHOIS. On your WHOIS search result page you will be asked "Do you want to pre-book this domain," select "yes" to proceed.

If your pre-book is successful you will be notified by CIRA after the Wednesday registration period. Within 24 hours of receiving this notification, Webnames.ca will charge your credit card for successfully registered domains.

Note: You will only be charged for pre-booked domains that are successfully registered.

If you have any questions about the TBR pre-booking process, or want help completing your pre-book, simply contact support@webnames.ca or call 1-866-221-7878.

Below are our "top picks" from this week's CIRA TBR (to-be-released) domains list.

The TBR for May 29th has lots of great names, so pre-book your favourite .CA domains early.

We publish a "top picks" list each week after CIRA publishes its latest batch of expiring dot-CA domains. CIRA adds more domains to the TBR list each day until the date of release, so you may want to check the CIRA TBR for new selections.

Our favourite names from the list are in bold below.

accurately.ca
activeinnovation.ca
aspiring.ca
axes.ca
backlog.ca
biznews.ca
civilian.ca
crossfitvancouver.ca
daiquiri.ca
heavyhitters.ca
jumped.ca
maplesyrups.ca
marketingleads.ca
morningbrew.ca
oneshop.ca
onlinetransaction.ca
pacificoak.ca
profitnow.ca
resumecanada.ca
reviewcentral.ca
risksystem.ca
rwl.ca
sandwichbar.ca
savvycities.ca
schoolyard.ca
seismology.ca
servicetrader.ca
spamlaw.ca
stacker.ca
stimulated.ca
techblog.ca   
torontobands.ca
torontobar.ca
torontoflights.ca
trillionaire.ca
tunnelvision.ca
vancouverbars.ca
vancouvercrossfit.ca
viewshop.ca
wishful.ca
wme.ca
workjob.ca

These domains are available for pre-booking NOW at Webnames.ca, and will be released by CIRA on Wednesday, May 29th, 2013!

To pre-book a To-Be-Released .CA domain from the above list:

1) Go to Webnames.ca's To-Be-Released .CA Domains page.

2) Find and click on the domain(s) you wish to pre-book and they will be added to your cart.

3) Review your shopping cart. Login or create a Webnames.ca account. Complete your transaction as though you were registering new domain(s).

Or,

Look up the domain you wish to pre-book in the Webnames.ca WHOIS. On your WHOIS search result page you will be asked "Do you want to pre-book this domain," select "yes" to proceed.

If your pre-book is successful you will be notified by CIRA after the Wednesday registration period. Within 24 hours of receiving this notification, Webnames.ca will charge your credit card for successfully registered domains.

Note: You will only be charged for pre-booked domains that are successfully registered.

If you have any questions about the TBR pre-booking process, or want help completing your pre-book, simply contact support@webnames.ca or call 1-866-221-7878.