[Newgtld-input] FW: ICANN Seeks input on gTLD Batching

Fri Aug 17 16:51:06 UTC 2012

Dear Sirs

I am writing on behalf of Alibaba Group Holding Limited, the applicant for
the new gTLDs: .alibaba, .alipay, .taobao and .tmall. and I set out our
comments to the batching issue:

The ICANN should evaluate all 1930 applications in a single batch. The
Initial Evaluation results should be released at one time which is now
expected to be in June / July 2013.

If all applications pass the Initial Evaluation, the ICANN should allow all
1179 uncontested applications to move through contract negotiations. It
should be noted that the number of uncontested applications may decrease as
examiners identify additional contended strings. The ICANN should continue
processing these uncontested applications on a first-come, first-served
basis, so that if no changes to the contract are negotiated, uncontested
applicants may continue through the process in a straightforward manner.

If contracts for all 1179 uncontested applications are quickly signed, it is
possible that more than 1000 extensions could be added to the root in a
year. Based on recent guidance from the Security and Stability Advisory
Committee (SSAC) of the ICANN, this does not seem to pose a threat to
stability or security but rather a risk to current service levels which
could likely be addressed by increasing the necessary resources.

The ICANN should allow the remaining 751 contested applications will need to
move through the contention process, which will take up to another 6 months
post Initial Evaluation results, according the Guidebook.

The above comments are provided so as to ensure that all applications can be
examined in a fair manner, and that the uncontested applications can proceed
to contract negotiation and execution, and all technology related
pre-delegation testing can proceed in a straightforward manner and the
applicant would be able to exert more control and certainty over the timing
when the gTLD can be launched instead of passively waiting for the grant
according to different batches.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Thank you for your attention.

Best regards

For and on behalf of Alibaba Group Holding Limited

Karen Law

Legal Counsel

Alibaba Group

26th Floor, Tower One

Times Square, 1 Matheson Street

Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Direct line: (852) 2215 5345

Facsimile: (852) 2215 5211

General line: (852) 2215 5100

Email: karenlaw at hk.alibaba-inc.com

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From: newgtld-input [mailto:newgtld-input at icann.org] 
Sent: Sunday, July 29, 2012 4:05 PM
Subject: ICANN Seeks input on gTLD Batching

Dear Applicant:

Opportunity for Community Input: Processing of New gTLD Applications

At the Prague ICANN meeting, the new gTLD Program Committee decided to
terminate Digital Archery, and instructed ICANN staff to proceedwith the
initial evaluation of applications as quickly as possible. This evaluation
is in progress based on a tentative project plan that foresees the
processing of applications in a single batch, and simultaneous release of
results. ICANN believes this approach is consistent with the constraints
that various parts of the community have in performing their respective
roles in the evaluation process, and with the feedback received from the
community at the Prague meeting.

This comment opportunity seeks input on requirements for an evaluation and
delegation process consistent with previous root zone scaling discussions of
smooth delegations, adding no more than 1,000 new gTLDs per year. This
outcome can be achieved by the:

1.     timing of the release of evaluation results to applicants,

2.     timing of the release of applications into the pre-delegation steps
of contract execution and pre-delegation testing,

3.     metering of delegations of new gTLDs into the root zone.

ICANN is committed to executing the evaluation and delegation process in a
way that is equitable and meets ICANN¡¯s commitment to ensuring the security
and stability of the DNS, consistent with previously established root zone
scaling goals.

Please write to new <mailto:new-gtld-input at icann.org> gtld
<mailto:new-gtld-input at icann.org> - <mailto:new-gtld-input at icann.org> input
<mailto:new-gtld-input at icann.org> @ <mailto:new-gtld-input at icann.org> icann
<mailto:new-gtld-input at icann.org> . <mailto:new-gtld-input at icann.org> org
<mailto:new-gtld-input at icann.org>  with your input. Comments received by 19
August 2012 (UTC 00:00) will be considered.

Background

The concept of batching has been a part of the Applicant Guidebook since its
first draft. Batching accomplishes three goals:

1.     Better management of the evaluation process by placing an upper bound
on the number of evaluators necessary and the number of parallel evaluations
occurring at any one time.

2.     Release of evaluation results to applicants according to a
predictable schedule.

3.     Delegation of TLDs at a rate acceptable to the technical community,
consistent with the root zone scaling discussion.

Based on the definitive information that ICANN now has about the pool of
applications, and work on the evaluations to date, this commentprocess seeks
input to meet requirements for goals #2 and #3.

Leading up to and during ICANN¡¯s meeting in Prague, the applicant and
community positions on requirements for batching schemes thatwould control
the evaluation, communication and delegation of applications were reported
to be:

1.     The batching solution has to be equitable.

2.      The evaluation results have to be announced at the same time.

3.     Successful applications should proceed to delegation phase without
undue delays.

4.     Delegation to the root must be at a smooth rate and must not exceed
1,000 per year.

5.     The GAC is planning to issue early warnings shortly after the Toronto
ICANN meeting in October 2012.

6.     Consideration by the GAC of issues concerning GAC advice on
contentious applications is not expected to be finalized before the Beijing
meeting in April 2013.

During the root scaling discussion, it was agreed that ICANN would not
delegate TLDs at a rate greater than 1,000 per year. This is because the
primary challenge with maintaining root zone stability is controlling the
rate of change to the root zone system and not the size of the root zone
itself, meaning delegation should not occur at a rate of 1,000 delegations
on a single day.

In Prague, the batching and prioritization method known as Digital Archery
was terminated and eliminated from further consideration.

Recent Developments

Initial evaluation of new gTLD applications is underway.

Applications are being distributed to evaluators in a way that enables
efficient processing.

ICANN has conducted pilot evaluations and had discussions with evaluators to
accelerate the evaluation schedule. As a result of thesediscussions, the
evaluation teams have committed to accelerate the evaluations substantially,
while processing them in a single batch.

In Prague, a methodology was discussed where the smooth delegation of
applications could occur by first releasing applications that passed initial
evaluation without the need for clarifying questions, then releasing
applications in order of the number of clarifying questions required, from
fewest to highest. After analysis, this methodology proved unworkable
because 80% to 90% of the total evaluation time is required to form and ask
clarifying questions, so little smoothing would result.

The current plan indicates that initial evaluation of all applications,
processed in a ¡°single batch¡±, can be completed in 11-12 months, possibly
less ¨C resulting in publication of results in June-July 2013.

Note: It is planned that regular updates to applicants during the evaluation
period will be provided. In addition to written reports, ICANN is looking
into the use of a webinar / conference call format to deliver updates.

For applicants, releasing results in a single batch would mean that the
first delegations would occur in late third quarter of 2013, six months
later than originally expected.

Implications of GAC timing: 

The GAC plans to ¡°issue any Early Warnings shortly after the Toronto ICANN
meeting, in October 2012,¡± meaning that Early Warnings would be received
within the currently planned single evaluation period.

Also, the GAC ¡°is considering the implications of providing any GAC advice
on gTLD applications. These considerations are not expected to be finalized
before the Beijing meeting in April 2013.¡± This is shortly before the
currently planned announcement of initial evaluation results (i.e., the
schedule without additional accelerations beyond those stated above).

Statement of the Issue

While there will be some natural smoothing as applications take different
paths through objections and contention resolution processes, there will
still be a requirement for some method of metering applications into the
delegation process. This is due to the relatively high number of
applications that mayreach pre-delegation steps at essentially the same
time. A metering method has not yet been determined and will need to be
developed.

Questions to be answered by comments

Submitted comments should specifically answer each of the following
questions:

1.     Should the metering or smoothing consider releasing evaluation
results, and transitioning applications into the contract execution and
pre-delegation testing phases, at different times?

o    How can applications be allocated to particular release times in a fair
and equitable way?

o    Would this approach provide sufficient smoothing of the delegation
rate?

o    Provide reasoning for selecting this approach.

2.     Should the metering or smoothing be accomplished by downstream
metering of application processing (i.e., in the contract execution,
pre-delegation testing or delegation phases)?

o    How can applications be allocated to a particular timing in contract
execution, pre-delegation testing, or delegation in a fair and equitable
way?

o    Provide reasoning for selecting this approach.

o    Include a statement describing the level of importance that the order
of evaluation and delegation has for your application.

Please write to newgtld <mailto:new-gtld-input at icann.org> -
<mailto:new-gtld-input at icann.org> input <mailto:new-gtld-input at icann.org> @
<mailto:new-gtld-input at icann.org> icann <mailto:new-gtld-input at icann.org> .
<mailto:new-gtld-input at icann.org> org <mailto:new-gtld-input at icann.org>
with your input. Comments received by 19 August 2012 (UTC 00:00) will be
considered.

Regards,

New gTLD Team