.ORG, The Public Interest Registry today released the results of its second bi-annual domain name report, “The Dashboard,” illustrating the continued growth of the world’s third largest generic Top Level Domain (gTLD) since the first half of 2009. Overall, the number of new .ORG domain registrations rose by a healthy 14 percent, while its number of domains under registration grew by 3.5 percent from July to December 2009. By the close of the year, the total number of domains under management was almost 8 million—an increase of 8.4 percent since 2008.

The “Dashboard” also reveals other key findings illustrating the strength of the .ORG domain:

• The growth rate of 3.5 percent is on par with results posted by the two largest gTLDs—.com and .net.
• Similar to the first half, the blended rate of organizations renewing their .ORG domains for one, two, and three years averaged 73.7 percent in the second half of 2009.
• Despite being known for non-profits, .ORG is growing in diversity, as more registered businesses, sports clubs, and open source developers are becoming key constituents of the .ORG community. For example, in the second half of 2009, the green movement is creating a larger footprint under .ORG.

Credit for .ORG’s sustained progress can be ascribed in part to the domain’s position as the most trusted gTLD on the Internet—a position substantiated by the results of a newly published PIR brand survey in which more than 50 percent of the 10,000 Internet users who participated indicated that the content provided on .ORG sites is informative.

“‘The Dashboard’ report illustrates the continued trust in and appeal of a .ORG address when compared to other available gTLDs,” said Alexa Raad, CEO of .ORG, The Public Interest Registry. “Judging by the numbers, the widespread appeal of .ORG is really about what an organization does, and not so much about who they are. This notion is evident when more and more registered businesses and for-profit companies are registering .ORG domains. That diversification holds such promise, and we look forward to seeing that growth continue as we head into 2010.”

Beyond key industry data, “The Dashboard” describes many key initiatives and innovations lead by PIR, the company behind .ORG, throughout 2009. Some notable initiatives include becoming the first and largest open TLD to successfully sign with Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC), PIR’s leadership in the industry to adopt and advocate policies against abuses such as phishing, malware and spam, as well as programs to shine the spotlight on the millions of growing causes worldwide.