.ie Domain Profile Report 2020 - January to June 2020

Contents Foreword Analysis of .ie domain database and growth 1 Analysis of .ie domains by type 1 Analysis of .ie domains by geography 2 Analysis of .ie domains by county 3 Analysis of .ie domain ecosystem 4 About IE Domain Registry The .ie Domain Profile Report is a comprehensive exploration of the .ie database. In this edition, we assess the impact of Covid-19 and analyse the numbers and types of .ie domains registered in the first six months of 2020 (H1: January – June), and the counties and countries where they were registered. In the .ie domain ecosystem chapter, we examine two current issues through the .ie lens: the Oireachtas and the green movement. Other regular metrics, including domain hosting market share, .ie domain resale requests, and security certificate usage, are also recorded. This is the first edition of the .ie Domain Profile Report to assess the database in the 2020s. At the end of June 2020 the .ie database comprised 295,794 domains, up more than 8% from the same period last year and more than 43% from the same period five years ago. This consistent increase has been helped by IE Domain Registry’s liberalisation policy implemented in 2018. While applicants still must prove their connection to Ireland, they no longer need to prove their claim to a particular .ie domain. This is an especially welcome benefit for small businesses and entrepreneurs under pressure to find a navigable path through the lockdown and economic uncertainty. Indeed, the Covid-19 pandemic has had a noticeable effect on new .ie domain registrations with new registrations increasing by 25.8%. Over 40% of new .ie registrations on the island of Ireland in the first six months of 2020 occurred in the two months of May and June, as businesses responded with online services, following the Government’s ‘work from home’ order which closed most of the country’s business premises. It is clear that this closure pushed many SMEs online for the first time in order to maintain sales and brand presence. Others have registered new .ie domains to expand their businesses into new areas or regions. Crucially, the increase in .ie domain registrations has been almost universal across the country: thirty-one of the island’s thirty-two counties recorded an increase in registrations up to the end of June 2020. While social distancing measures may for now make consumers less willing to spend on Ireland’s main streets, they are still spending online. An e-commerce-enabled .ie website allows SMEs to continue to engage with their customers and sell to them, even if their business premises remain closed or are operating at a reduced level. Challenging though it may prove, Irish SMEs’ ability to do digital business while maintaining their physical premises will be key to the country’s economic recovery in 2020 and beyond. David Curtin Chief Executive, IE Domain Registry Foreword .ie