.ASIA hits the half mil

DotAsia's launch process is now over, with only the go-live phase remaining (when the extension will be open to anyone on a first-come, first-served basis).

The stats show that so-called "sponsored" generic extensions (i.e. ones that are supposed to represent a community, be it business, geographical or other) can be a success… as long as their registrations requirements remain relatively open.

The registry's official numbers are 505,838 domain name applications. We are talking applications here, and not outright domains: for example, there were 45,697 names which were applied for more than once during the landrush (add to that the 1,051 names which had multiple sunrise requests) and which will now go to auction, where the highest bidding applicant will get the name. The total number of applications received during landrush was 473,633. The rest (up to that 505,838 number) were domains applied for during the previous phases (sunrise and pioneer).

Interesting to see that, although the word "sex" remained the most sought after during the .ASIA sunrise (14 prior-right claims), buy.asia became the most popular name during the landrush with over 400 applicants.