Firm Management
Thousands of Professionals Apply for Dot.CPA Website Domains
The AICPA was awarded ownership and management of the .cpa top-level domain last year by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). CPA.com is responsible for managing the service.
Sep. 24, 2020
Thousands of CPA firms, including many of the nation’s largest, have moved quickly to reserve their existing branded domains under the new restricted Internet domain, .cpa, according to CPA.com
Well over half of the 100 biggest U.S. firms – as well as an equally large percentage of the next 400 – have begun advancing their applications as part of the early phase of the .cpa registration process, which launched on Sept. 1.
The first phase of .cpa’s rollout, which ends on Oct. 31, is designed to help firms acquire domains that are most consistent with their current digital branding. This initial pool will be considered en masse so no one has a time advantage in filing during this first phase.
“CPA firms have really grasped the advantages the .cpa domain brings to their online presence,” said Erik Asgeirsson, president and CEO of CPA.com. “These restricted domains ensure greater trust in online interactions between CPAs and their clients, and – at the same time – firms are seeing the larger branding opportunity .cpa represents. The reception has been very positive, and firms are asking smart, constructive questions around adoption and implementation, which bodes well for broad-based activation.”
.CPA is what’s known as a top-level domain, which describes the letters found at the end of an Internet address, such as .com. The use of specialized or restricted top-level domains has grown dramatically in recent years as businesses, organizations and online communities seek to promote their visibility and authenticity in the digital world. .CPA also has improved security compared to unrestricted domains.
Only licensed CPA firms can apply for .cpa. For the initial application period ending Oct. 31, preferred domains are awarded based on logic-based criteria verified by an independent third party and firms will be notified of the outcome of their application by the first week of November. After that, firms can apply on a rolling basis. Individually licensed CPAs can apply for their preferred .cpa domain beginning in January 2021 when general availability opens.
The AICPA was awarded ownership and management of the .cpa top-level domain last year by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). CPA.com is responsible for managing the service.