Internet Body Opens Way For New Domain Names - WSJ.com

SINGAPORE (Dow Jones)--The end of the dot-com era is over--welcome to the dot-anything age.

The organization that regulates the world's Internet domain names
Monday approved changes that will allow companies and individuals to
potentially register any name they like in almost any language as domain
suffixes, a step that could change the way users navigate the Web.

Not-for-profit Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers,
known as ICANN, said the aim for a much more open, albeit infinitely
messier, approach to domain name registration will spur a new rush of
innovation. An identifying suffix--currently limited to predominantly
two or three-letter tags such as .com, .org or .uk --could also be a
helpful branding tool for corporations, especially banks keen to boost
their online security credentials. It may also provide entrepreneurs an
opportunity to generate new business by selling second-level domains.