.coop internet domains go on sale in New Zealand

New Zealand Cooperatives Association is from today selling .coop internet domains

Appointed by Britain's Midcounties Co-operative as a sales partner, the New Zealand Cooperatives Association is from today selling .coop internet domains, with a territory that goes beyond New Zealand to include Australia, Japan, China and the Pacific nations.

A sponsored top level domain, only cooperatives and mutuals along with associated organisations and individuals can register a .coop domain. Eligibility is verified through cooperative organisations.

"There are currently just four .coop domains in use in New Zealand, compared with 2,000 in the United States," said Cooperatives Association Executive Director Ramsey Margolis. "Now we are the local representative for .coop, able to assist cooperatives in the process, we expect a good takeup not just by our members but by cooperatives and mutuals throughout the region. In fact, we've put a new page on our website at www.nz.coop dedicated to smoothing the process of moving to .coop."

Association Chairperson Peter Macdougall stated, "Cooperation among cooperatives is one of the principles of the cooperative movement. Getting .coop domains spread around the region is a great way of building trade between co-ops here and overseas."

Available since January 2002, the .coop internet space is sponsored by DotCooperation LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Washington-based National Cooperative Business Association, with the registry being operated by Midcounties Co-operative in Oxford, U.K.

Cooperatives have a significant presence in New Zealand business. In 2006, the combined turnover of New Zealand cooperatives and mutuals was around $27bn, representing over 20% of the country's GDP.