What is DENIC and what does it do?

The introduction of the .de domain as a regional, sponsored Top Level Domain (TLD) dates back to a decision by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), the predecessor of the organisation responsible for domain extensions today, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). Following the launch of the new country code TLD (ccTLD) in 1986, initially the University of Dortmund and later the University of Karlsruhe took over the administration and domain registration for about a decade. In 1996, numerous web hosting companies and official registrars formed a cooperative called DENIC, which was then entrusted with the sole responsibility for managing the .de domain from 1997 onwards. Since then, all domain checks and registrations have been handled exclusively by this organisation.

Contents:

Central, independent administration of the .de domain: History and tasks of DENIC
Structure and organisation of DENIC
Prominent members (2019)
Headquarters and data centres of DENIC
DENIC is the crucial body for managing the .de domain extension

Central, independent administration of the .de domain: History and tasks of DENIC

As early as the early 1990s, around two dozen Internet Service Providers (ISPs) decided to cooperate with the aim of influencing the registration and allocation of .de domains. This precursor to DENIC, named Interessenverbund Deutsches Network Information Center (IV-DENIC), signed a contract with the University of Karlsruhe, which took over the administration of the .de domain in 1994. To manage the rapidly increasing demand for internet addresses in an orderly and legally secure manner, DENIC was founded in December 1996 based on the interest group, as a registered and non-profit cooperative headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, a key hub for the internet's infrastructure.

After establishing a functioning administration and a solid organisational structure, DENIC gradually took over all tasks related to the administration of the .de Domain . These include, among others:

• Conducting a domain check for new registration requests
• Defining the requirements for applying, allocating, and operating a .de Domain
• Domain registration and renewal
• Operating a database with information on each .de Domain (Whois)
• Providing nameservers (DNS) for converting names to IP numbers
• Reviewing applications for clear legal violations
• Accepting, processing, and evaluating complaints of legal infringements
• Technical support for addresses with special characters such as umlauts

In addition to the .de Domain, DENIC also applied to manage the .net Domain after it was put out for tender in 2005 following the expiration of the contract with Verisign, one of the largest TLD managers globally. However, this attempt at international positioning was thwarted by ICANN's concerns.

Structure and Organisation of DENIC

DENIC is a non-profit organisation that has chosen to establish itself as a registered cooperative. Membership is open to any company that meets the official requirements upon joining. These requirements include a direct connection of services or products to the cooperative's tasks, as well as financial stability and security. Members include all major German ISPs, as well as large foreign registrars and domain traders, numerous medium-sized companies, and even associations with a specific interest or focus on the IT industry. A similar organisation exists at the European level with EURid, which is responsible for the allocation of the .eu Domain.

Prominent Members (2019)

Some of the members of the DENIC cooperative include:

German ISPs, Domain Registrars, and Mobile Network Providers:

• Deutsche Telekom AG
• Strato AG
• Telefonica Germany GmbH & Co. OHG (O2, Fonic, Blau, Türk Telekom Mobile)
• net.de AG
• Vodafone GmbH
• Vodafone Kabel Deutschland GmbH
• freenet Datenkommunikations GmbH
• Verizon Deutschland GmbH (AOL, Yahoo)
• United Internet GmbH (Web.de, 1 & 1 Versatel, GMX, Sedo AG, InterNetX)
• Hetzner Online GmbH (

International ISPs and Domain Registrars:

• 101domains GRS LTD., Dublin, Ireland
• CORE Internet Council of Registrars, Geneva, Switzerland
• Crazy Domains, Dubai Internet City, Dubai
• DOMAINS DIRECTORS PTY LTD, Melbourne, Australia
• DYNADOT LLC, California, USA
• GoDaddy.com, Scottsdale, USA
• Name.com LLC, Denver, USA
• NameSilo LLC, Phoenix, USA
• NameCheap Inc., Phoenix, USA
• Uniregistrar Corp., Cayman Islands
• Zonat S.A., Luxembourg, Luxembourg

Associations and Interest Groups:

• Verein zur Förderung eines Deutschen Forschungsnetzes e.V., Berlin
• BelWü-Koordination Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst, Landeshochschulnetz Baden-Württemberg

Location and Data Centres of DENIC

DENIC has had its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main since its establishment, as one of the international nodes for national, European, and global data transmission is located here. Since 2007, the administration and the data centre have been separated but both still remain in Frankfurt am Main. In the unlikely event of a complete failure, the organisation also operates a permanently ready, full mirror in Amsterdam, which was chosen due to its excellent connectivity and moderate distance from the headquarters. Additionally, DENIC's infrastructure includes international Nameservers located in Moscow, Hong Kong, Paris, London, Miami, Beijing, and Sao Paulo spread across multiple continents.

DENIC is the key body for managing the .de domain extension

The cooperatively organized DENIC is the authority responsible for the management of the .de domain, including operating the nameservers, domain checking, the Whois database, and domain registration. It also sets the formalities for applying for an internet address and regulations for domain allocation, while also having to fulfil certain obligations such as the legal review of specific domain names. Despite having strict regulations for domain reservation, DENIC demonstrates tolerance by accepting trustees provided by international registrars, even if they do not have a domestic residence. The allocation of a domain is completely independent of its subsequent operation by a web hoster, on a VPS hosting, or a Dedicated Server.

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