IE Domain Registry Annual Report 2019

IE Domain Registry  Annual Report & Review  2019 5 Chair’s Statement We see our mandate as a profit-for-good company to manage the national resource of .ie so as to maximise the value of the internet for Irish and international consumers, Irish businesses and Irish jobs. We are using our strong financial position to deploy a Strategic Development Fund to finance a range of projects designed to deepen internet awareness and use in Ireland, as well as to promote business growth online. The programme was enhanced in 2019 and additional information is provided later in this report. The Board was pleased to support and authorise a significant investment in licensing a state-of-the-art registry management system, which will be customised for the .ie namespace during 2020. We are confident that our Registrars and channel partners will be able to use this industry-standard system to drive their own growth and expansion during the coming years. Although managing the registration of .ie domain names and the security of the domain name system will always remain our core business, I am confident that our research and insights, together with our initiatives such as .ie Digital Town, will continue to play an important advisory role for policymakers and for the organisations that represent Ireland’s SMEs. We acknowledged Sligo as the .ie Digital Town in 2019 and we celebrated its achievements in using the internet to improve the lives of communities, educational and sporting organisations and SMEs. Further information on our initiatives and partnerships are set out in this Report. On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank our dedicated Chief Executive, the executive team and all our staff for their continued dedication and commitment in 2019. In particular, the Board appreciates the team’s commitment to customer service and to meeting the requirements of the company’s stakeholders. With challenging long-term goals across the organisation, it is vital to continue to attract, nurture and retain talent. There is intense competition for talent, but IE Domain Registry is viewed as a trustworthy organisation with highly motivated staff who want to make a positive contribution to the internet community. The Board wishes to acknowledge the assistance during the year of the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, the staff of his Department, and of the industry regulator, ComReg. I would like to acknowledge the contribution of my predecessor, Mr Jimmy Joyce, outgoing Chairman, to the growth and development of the .ie registry. Together with my fellow directors, we wish Jimmy a long and happy retirement. Outlook We remain acutely aware of innovations in the rapidly changing world of digital communications. We are also monitoring closely developments in the EU wide regulatory environment in data protection and cyber security and in this regard we welcome the Digital Single Market initiatives. We in IE Domain Registry are cognisant of the future challenges but we are confident of our preparedness and capacity to meet them. As we face the uncertain challenges arising from the Covid-19 global pandemic we will carefully monitor the consequences, address the risks to the business and continue to modify and fine-tune our business continuity plans. We have seen during the Covid-19 lockdown in Ireland that there has been a dramatic uptake in the use and application of websites and online platforms. We will take every opportunity to assist the local internet community to get online and to thrive online. Together, we face the future with confidence. Louise English, Chair IE Domain Registry CLG 1 July 2020