This page provides a brief introduction of the Phase 3 of the IDN Variant TLDs Program and links to Program’s projects.
As Phase 2 of the IDN Variant TLDs Issues Project concluded with the publication of the final Integrated Issues Report, the work continued by focusing on the approach outlined in the study to define milestones that must be completed to manage the implementation of IDN variant TLDs.
ICANN Project team has created a project plan for next steps that described several discrete projects to be completed, along with estimated resources needed to complete them. The plan involved performing feasibility studies on certain types of variants and developing tools, processes, and protocols to support specific solutions in cooperation with the appropriate experts.
The initial project plan was published for public comment on 20 February 2012 and discussed during a public session of the ICANN Costa Rica meeting in March 2012. Feedback received expressed concerns about the length of time to implement that version of the plan and priorities that should be given to some of the projects in the plan.
After substantial public input and comment, ICANN Program team has reorganized it and published the Updated IDN Variant TLD Program Plan. The Program consists of several projects, and continues as a multi-phase multi-year program that gave priority to the following (re-named) projects:
- Label Generation Ruleset Tool – P1
- Label Generation Ruleset (LGR) Process for the Root – P2.1
- Examining the User Experience Implications of Active Variant TLDs – P6
The revised plan has also re-prioritized two projects: (i) Whole-String Variants Feasibility Study and (ii) Mirroring Variants Feasibility Study. Separately from the IDN variant TLD Program, a new project has been established to enhance the Visual Similarity Process. Improvements to the Visual Similarity Process are intended to help ICANN multiple initiatives; however its outcome is not dependent on the IDN Variant TLD Program.
The Updated IDN Variant TLD Program Plan also outlined projects depending on the outcome of current projects and meant to carry on the Program to the next steps.
Below is the current program plan with three Projects currently in progress.
The three projects are being executed by three project teams with coordination effort at the Program level.
Details of Phase 3 Projects can be found on the following subpages:
P1-Label Generation Ruleset Tool
P2.1-Label Generation Ruleset Process for the Root
P6-User Experience Implications of Active Variant TLDs
At completion of these three projects, IDN Variant TLDs Program team will seek Board approval, followed on with the initiation of implementation steps represented by Projects 2.2, 7 and 8 of the Updated IDN Variant TLD Program Plan and summarized as follows: implementation of the LGR Process through the establishment of panels and corresponding work frame, updating of both gTLD and IDN ccTLD Programs as well as ICANN processes and operations.
Following IDN Variant TLDs Program updates during public sessions held at the ICANN Toronto meeting and at the Registry - Registrar Gathering in Amsterdam meeting, Program’s team is currently planning to hold a public session during the ICANN Beijing meeting. The purpose of this session is to provide the community with project and overall IDN Variant TLDs Program updates and to explain the approach that will be adopted for LGR Process approval and initiation of Program’s implementation phase.
Please see below Program’s most recent public update presentations and sessions:
IDN Variant TLDs Program Update - Amsterdam - Registry-Registrar Gathering meeting - 24-25 January 2013 - Amsterdam
Internationalized Domain Name (IDN) Variant: Examining the User Experience Implication of the Active Variant TLDs - Public Webinar - 13 February 2013 - download here recording and presentation
