CIRA and SIDN agree on partnership to build new registry platform

Hamburg, Germany – October 24, 2023 – CIRA and SIDN, registries of the Canadian .CA domain and the Dutch .NL domain respectively, are proud to announce the formation of a new partnership to collaboratively develop, promote and support the current CIRA Registry Platform. The code base and intellectual property of the product, internally known at CIRA as Fury, will be transferred to a jointly owned and managed corporation based in Canada.

Migrating .NL

Under the mutual cooperation and development agreement, SIDN will be migrating .NL, the fourth largest country-code top-level domain (ccTLD) in the world, to the new, jointly owned and developed registry platform. When migration is complete, .NL will be running on a new cloud-based version of the current CIRA Registry Platform with the functionality and features SIDN requires to manage the registry effectively.

Future-ready registry platform

The new partnership between two of the world’s leading ccTLDs solidifies the CIRA Registry Platform as among the best in the industry. CIRA and SIDN are similar organizations in many ways with complementary values, priorities and objectives that will serve both Canada and the Netherlands well as they embark upon their new partnership. SIDN and CIRA will collaborate to develop new features, integrate new technologies and expand the market opportunity for the improved platform for years to come. Bundling expertise, development capacity and investment power will advance and solidify the platform’s position as an industry leader.

Replacement of DRS5

After an extensive process to determine the successor to SIDN’s current registry platform, DRS5, it was determined that the best course of action was to partner with an existing registry to co-develop a new system. CIRA was chosen because of its industry-leading technology, internal expertise and shared values. Both organizations also have a well-established history of collaboration to advance innovation and the values of the open internet.

Combined strength

The combined strength of SIDN and CIRA will allow for faster development, shared resources, lower costs and shared risk for both organizations, ensuring the future growth and security of both .CA and .NL. This will provide tangible benefits to both registrants and registrars of .CA and .NL domains as the underlying technology will be more robust and resilient than ever before.

Executive quotes

As we enter a new phase for the domain industry, one of increasing competition, consolidation and new technologies, it is critical that like-minded TLDs work together. SIDN is a great partner for this endeavour, their long history of leadership and innovation in our industry will only help to strengthen and protect the platform that runs both .CA, and soon .NL, while helping to build an online platform for similar communities around the world.

Byron Holland, president & CEO, CIRA

This unique strategic collaboration offers SIDN and CIRA many advantages and prospects. There are benefits in the shorter term due to, among other things, accelerated commissioning of a new, state-of-the-art registration system at lower costs and lower risks than in-house construction from the ground up. And there are benefits and long-term perspectives through lower TCO, faster development, a larger pool of expertise and impact in our industry by offering a ‘best-of-breed’ registration system for peers.

Roelof Meijer, CEO, SIDN.

Additional information

Financial terms of this deal are not being disclosed at this time.
Learn more about the CIRA Registry Platform

About SIDN

SIDN manages .NL, the top-level domain of the Netherlands, which has more than 6.3 million second-level domains. The company also develops and delivers services and solutions that make connected living easier and safer. SIDN’s research team SIDN Labs supports those activities by devising new technologies and systems that increase the stability and security of .nl, the DNS and the internet infrastructure. SIDN is also directly or indirectly (through SIDN Fund) closely involved in numerous social initiatives designed to promote use of the internet and address its unwanted side-effects.

About CIRA

CIRA is the national not-for-profit best known for managing the .CA domain on behalf of all Canadians. As a leader in Canada’s internet ecosystem, CIRA offers a wide range of products, programs and services designed to make the internet a safe, secure and accessible space for all. CIRA represents Canada on both national and international stages to support its goal of building a trusted internet for Canadians and helping shape the future of the internet.

About the CIRA Registry Platform

The CIRA Registry Platform is an industry-leading solution for top-level domain (TLD) registries. Built off CIRA’s 25 years’ experience in managing the .CA domain registry, the CIRA Registry Platform provides the features, functionality and flexibility required to run a modern TLD business. To learn more visit cira.ca/registry

Media contacts
Delphine Avomo Evouna
CIRA
[email protected]
+1 613 315-1458

Marnie van Duijnhoven
SIDN
[email protected]
+31 (0)6 46 10 85 22