Hundreds of the world's largest brands are expected to begin submitting their applications for new '.brand' Top Level Domains (TLDs) when the three-month application window opens on Thursday, January 12th. The industry estimates that between 1,000 and 1,500 applications will be submitted for new TLDs in the first round this year, and that two-thirds of these are likely to be from brands.

"Big brands from around the world have already engaged with Melbourne IT Digital Brand Services to help them apply for more than 100 new TLDs," Melbourne IT CEO and Managing Director, Theo Hnarakis, said.

"Big-name companies in the financial sector, as well as the retail and consumer goods industries, have shown the most interest in applying so far, and roughly a quarter of the companies we are assisting are members of the Fortune Global 500. Applicants working with Melbourne IT also include members of the U.S. Association of National Advertisers. We expect more brands to follow now that the application window has opened and the program's final application deadline of April 12 looms nearer," Mr. Hnarakis said.

"Those organizations still deliberating whether to apply or not will need to come to a decision swiftly as the application process is complex and takes time and resources. Engaging with a specialist to help develop an application is a must at this late stage."

ICANN's new TLD program aims to encourage greater domain name choice and innovation by creating a range of new names as an alternative to existing TLDs such as .com or .net. The program allows organizations to apply for almost any generic term as a TLD (such as .music, .bank or .shop), as well as their own brand names (such as .canon or .deloitte).

The application window will remain open from January 12 to April 12, and once it is closed it is expected that future applications for new TLDs will be unlikely to be accepted for at least 2-3 years. The first new TLDs are expected to go live on the Internet in 2013.

"Melbourne IT DBS is ideally suited to assist organizations considering applying for a new TLD - from strategy and business plan development, management of the application process, to assembling and operating the technical infrastructure," Mr. Hnarakis added.

For more information on the new Top Level Domain program and how organizations can apply, visit www.melbourneitdbs.com.

About Melbourne IT Digital Brand Services

Melbourne IT Digital Brand Services (Melbourne IT DBS) helps organizations manage, protect and optimize their brands online to maximize the value of their online assets. The company helps clients minimize risk and make smarter decisions in managing their online presence. Headquartered in Mountain View, CA, Melbourne IT DBS maintains 15 offices in 10 countries. Melbourne IT DBS's 3,500+ clients include some of the world's most recognizable brands. Melbourne IT DBS is a division of the listed Melbourne IT Group (ASX: MLB). For more information, visit www.melbourneitdbs.com.

About Melbourne IT

Melbourne IT (ASX: MLB) helps organizations of all sizes to successfully conduct business online. The company's complete portfolio of Internet-based technology services drives business effectiveness and profitability for more than 350,000 customers around the world. The breadth of Melbourne IT's offering extends from helping small businesses build an online presence to managing the complex technology environments of large enterprises and governments - including Internet domain name services, web hosting, online brand protection and promotion, video content delivery, managed IT services and more.

Melbourne IT's culture of integrity, innovation, collaboration and customer centricity has been built by more than 700 employees across 18 offices in 10 countries. For more information, visit www.melbourneit.info.

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