.Org Domain Price to Climb 10 Percent

Consistent with reports released this week, Public Interest Registry (pir.org), the company that manages the .org domain, is planning to elevate prices for .org domains by 10 percent this year.

In a moderately succinct letter sent to ICANN (icann.org) earlier this month, PIR CEO Alexa Raad says the company proposes to raise its wholesale rates from $6.15 to $6.75, commencing November 9, 2008.

A PDF reproduction of the letter is hosted on the ICANN site.

Raad doesn’t proffer any operations-related interpretation for the increase or any grounds actually, leaving the presumption that PIR’s foremost intention with the rate hike is an increase in revenue.

PIR appears concerned in making the .org domain, commonly associated with non-profit organisations, a more flourishing commercial venture.

In April, the company launched a .org resource center, designed to provide .org users with resources for maximising their sites.

The company looks involved in elucidating the fallacy that there are any limitations on .org ownership related to non-profits, while simultaneously serving the non-profits that make up a significant part of its business.

According to PIR’s 2006 .org registry agreement with ICANN, the company may raise service fees to 1.1 times the previous year’s maximum, meaning that the PIR is entitled to raise prices to $7.76 during 2008.