"Since joining the Hudson Valley Chamber of Commerce..., I have worked very closely with the staff from KutterGroup on several website projects. We first brought a very outdated site up to a very usable standard, and then began work on a completely new site. Having just completed most of the work on the new site I can say without reservation that KutterGroup has outstanding work ethics and skills! They have gone beyond what was expected many times, which has encouraged us to give their names to several businesses that were looking for website help. We hope to continue to use their services for a long time to come and to share their name with others."

Ron Forehand, President & CEO (2007-2010)
Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce
www.hvgatewaychamber.com
Peekskill, New York

"KutterGroup has brought a high level of navigational creativity and structural flexibility to MBS Associates' new website. Jim Kutter has worked closely with our staff right from the start. We were able to get our new site built and live on a tight schedule and continue to add content and new features with excellent support from KutterGroup."

John Sommer
MBS Associates
www.mbsa.info
Montrose, New York

"Jim Kutter has been an incredible asset for the Paramount Center for the Arts since I first took the job as Executive Director in 2003... He created and implemented the entire "back-end" of our website, and designed an effective and streamline content management system with which we can manage and maintain information and images on our site in real time. Jim always makes himself available to the Paramount for trouble-shooting, advice, and feedback. Simply put, the Paramount would not have the internet presence and efficiency if not for Jim. We are deeply grateful for his expertise and generosity, both of which have greatly aided our organization immeasurably."

Jon Yanofsky, Executive Director , (2003-2009)
Paramount Center for the Arts
www.paramountcenter.org
Peekskill, New York

International URLs

Submitted by aisha on November 3, 2009 - 7:19am

Filed Under: domain name, url

On November 16th, ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) will begin accepting applications for internationalized domain names. This marks one of the biggest changes to the internet as we know it and comes with great opportunities as well as potential new threats.

For opportunities, just think about the doorway being opened by allowing domain names to be registered in it’s native language. The current requirement that domain names be registered using Latin characters poses a gap in reaching those individuals that only know their native language. Opportunities for registering and reaching out to entire communities who only know their native language is tremendous and can now be done. Ever wish you had registered key domain names to sell your product and or service to a highly specific Hasidic, Asian or Islamic community? Now is your chance. Just keep in mind that a vast majority of existing internetians (i.e those who peruse the internet) operating systems will not support these characters, however, that may just prove to be an advantage for those with an entrepreneurial spirit.

For threats, one only has to look in their spam folder to know that phishing scams will likely increase by a significant magnitude. Say you have a bank account with a large, Asian bank – it’s a fair bet that someone would look to get similar domains of that bank in its native script to use for nefarious deeds and it would become increasingly difficult for the average non-native person to identify that it is a scam.

So, while we may be near running out of web addresses (although this will be fixed before it becomes a real problem), be sure to examine if your business model warrants a discussion on registering and targeting a niche market and doing so in its native tongue.

Makes you wonder, what would the domain name of the man formerly known as Prince look like with this newfound freedom of expression?

International URLs

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