ICANN Acronyms and Terms

ICANN has hundreds of acronyms and terms, which can be confusing. We created this multilingual tool to help explain what these terms mean and facilitate your work within the ICANN community.

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ICANN Acronyms and Terms

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1-20 of 24 results

name collision

A situation where a name used in a private network, such as a corporate intranet, results in a query to the public Domain Name System (DNS). If the name from the private network matches a domain name in the DNS, the resolution of that name can produce adverse results.

Name Collision Analysis Project(NCAP)

A combined SSAC and community project to facilitate the development of a policy on name collisions to mitigate potential harm to the stability and security of the DNS posed by delegation of such strings.

name resolution

The process of transforming a domain name or hostname to its corresponding Internet Protocol (IP) address. When a user requests a domain or host server by name (e.g., www.icann.org), the Domain Name System resolves the requested name to its assigned IP address (e.g., 192.0.32.7).

name server

A server within the Domain Name System that answers queries about a domain name, such as providing its Internet Protocol (IP) address.

Naming Services portal

An online service available through the ICANN website that provides a central location for contracted parties (e.g., contracted registry operators and accredited registrars) to conduct business with the ICANN organization. The portal helps streamline operational processes and is customized with community-requested features such as case tracking, multiuser company access, and structured workflows. Users of the portal can ask questions, submit information, and request approvals through the portal.

National Telecommunications and Information Administration(NTIA)

An agency of the United States Department of Commerce that is principally responsible for advising the Executive Branch on telecommunications and information policy issues.

When ICANN’s contract with NTIA expired on 1 October 2016, the coordination and management of the Internet’s unique identifiers transitioned to the global multistakeholder community.

Network Operators Group(NOG)

A professional association for individuals and groups involved in network architecture, engineering, or operations. NOG members come from entities such as Internet service providers, Regional Internet Registries, and network security groups. Through mailing lists and conferences, members exchange ideas, information, and best practices.

NOGs are usually geographically based (e.g., North American Network Operators Group, Australian Network Operators Group, Hong Kong Network Operators Group).

new generic top-level domain(new gTLD)

A gTLD that is introduced through the New Generic Top-Level Domain Program (new gTLD Program). This program aims to enhance innovation, competition, and consumer choice by enabling interested and qualified entities to establish new TLDs.

New Generic Top-Level Domain Program(New gTLD Program)

A program coordinated by ICANN to enable the expansion of the Domain Name System (DNS).

The final part of a domain name (e.g., .com, .net, or .org) represents a top-level domain (TLD). Under the New gTLD Program, entities can register TLDs with names such as .futbol, .istanbul, and .pizza, along with names in other alphabets (e.g., Arabic and Cyrillic) and languages (e.g., Chinese, Japanese, Korean).

The New gTLD Program aims to enhance innovation, competition, and consumer choice. Since the program began delegating new domains in 2013, over 1,300 new gTLDs have entered the Internet's root zone.

As part of the expansion of the namespace, the New gTLD Program has introduced several Rights Protection Mechanisms to safeguard intellectual property rights in the DNS. These mechanisms include the Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH), which monitors domain registrations for trademark infringements, and Uniform Rapid Suspension (URS), which enables trademark holders to resolve infringement disputes outside the court system.

New Generic Top-Level Domain Subsequent Procedures Policy Development Process(SubPro PDP)

An ICANN community-led project to plan when and how to expand the number of generic top-level domains. The Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) New Generic Top-Level Domain Subsequent Procedures Policy Development Process Working Group evaluated the 2012 application round to identify areas where additional policy development might be needed before launching another round.

Newcomer program

A day-long learning session for people attending their first ICANN Public Meeting. During this highly interactive session, members of the ICANN organization and community share their experiences and expertise about ICANN and its work. Newcomers learn how to engage in ICANN’s multistakeholder model of policymaking and have an opportunity to network with others in the community.

NextGen@ICANN program

The ICANN organization manages a program designed to broaden community participation in ICANN policy development. The program targets students 18 to 30 years-old who live in the region hosting a selected ICANN Public Meeting and provides mentoring opportunities.

Nominating Committee(NomCom)

The ICANN body that appoints a number of positions on the  ICANN Board of Directors, the At-Large Advisory Committee, and the Councils of the Country Code Names Supporting Organization and the Generic Names Supporting Organization. . The NomCom consists of 15 voting delegates along with a number of nonvoting leaders, advisors, and delegates.

The NomCom calls for applications from the ICANN community and evaluates candidates in a fair and consistent manner. The composition and responsibilities of the NomCom are described in the ICANN Bylaws.

non-ASCII

Referring to a character encoding standard other than ASCII. This term is often used to characterize a domain name or label that is not solely composed of ASCII characters (e.g., a non-ASCII domain name or a non-ASCII label).

Non-Contracted Parties House(NCPH)

A body within the Generic Names Supporting Organization Council that represents the interests of commercial and noncommercial entities. The Non-Contracted Parties House consists of representatives from the Commercial Stakeholder Group, the Noncommercial Stakeholder Group, and one voting member appointed by the ICANN Nominating Committee.

Noncommercial Users Constituency(NCUC)

A constituency within the Noncommercial Stakeholder Group of the Generic Names Supporting Organization. The NCUC represents the interests of noncommercial registrants and noncommercial Internet users of generic top-level domains.

North American Regional At-Large Organization(NARALO)

The Regional At-Large Organization (RALO) that serves as the main forum and coordination point for public input to ICANN from the At-Large community in North America. NARALO keeps the At-Large Structures (ALSes) in its community informed about significant ICANN news. It also establishes mechanisms to facilitate two-way communication between the ALSes and ICANN policymakers, so ALS members can share their views on pending issues.

Not-for-Profit Operational Concerns Constituency(NPOC)

The Not-for-Profit Operational Concerns (NPOC) is a constituency within the Noncommercial Stakeholder Group of the Generic Names Supporting Organization that represents the interests of not-for-profit and nongovernmental organizations.

NS record

A type of resource record in a zone file that identifies the name servers that are authoritative for a zone. A zone file contains one NS record for each of the zone’s own authoritative names servers. It also includes an NS record for each subdomain that has been delegated to other authoritative name servers. If a subdomain’s authoritative name server resides within the subdomain’s namespace, the zone file must include a glue record that provides the name server’s Internet Protocol (IP) address.