On Tuesday, 30 September 2014 at 13:00 NZST (12:00AM UTC), the .NZ Registry will start accepting .NZ registrations directly at the second level.
There are two types of names that can be registered during this time:
Unique names, meaning names that have not been registered in any of the 13 .NZ subdomains (such as .co.na , .net.nz and .org.nz).
Matching Names, where the longer version of the desired new name is already registered in one of the existing subdomains.
For matching Names, during a six month period (30 September 2014 at 13:00 NZST (12:00AM UTC) - 30 March 2015 at 13:00 NZST (12:00AM UTC)), those eligible can get the shorter version of their domain name before anyone else or reserve it for free for a limited time through the Preferential Registration Eligibility program, which allows current registrants to get the shorter match of an existing domain name or a reasonable alternative.
In cases where two or more matching domain names exist, those names are considered “in conflict”. Lexsynergy can mediate the conflict for you.
Starting 30 September, instead of registering YourName.net.nz (where “net” constitutes the second level), customers can now register YourName.nz (where “YourName” will constitute the second level).
Due to the relative ease and low cost of registering a shorter .NZ domain name, Lexsynergy strongly recommends that clients register or reserve any .NZ domain names for which they are eligible. It is important to note that within the .NZ domain name space no preference is given to people who have rights in a name (such as a company or trademark owner).
If you would like more information about the new shorter .NZ domain names, please contact domains@lexsynergy.com today.