IE Domain Registry t/a .IE

Chief Executive's Report 2020 was a year of major challenges and achievements for .IE; we coped with Covid restrictions; we rebranded to “.IE”; we licensed and customised a new registration system; we seamlessly exited the direct B2C retail customer market; we benefitted from accelerated digital transformation which boosted demand for SME’s online presence; and by year end the EU agenda for significant cyber security regulation became apparent. What a way to mark our 20th year in business. The sad impact of Covid-19 on society, citizens and the economy nevertheless accelerated digital adoption for business, consumers and social activity. The .ie database’s strong growth in 2020 can be largely attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns that closed physical premises and restricted travel and social gatherings, which forced small business owners to pivot online, many for the first time. Like many other companies, .IE responded speedily and efficiently to the Government's work from home order in March 2020. IT systems were deployed to ensure safe, secure communications and work practices, as well as adopting new technologies to support virtual meetings. Staff were given support to ensure their home working environment was safe and comfortable. I would like to pay tribute to the .IE team for their flexibility and high levels of productivity while working remotely. Operational review At the end of 2020, there were 309,853 .ie domains on the database. There were 65,113 new registrations in the year, the highest annual figure ever recorded and a 29.8% increase on 2019. These registrations were offset by 36,446 non-renewals/deletions which were up 13% over 2019 (32,151 domains), giving a net increase of 28,667 which compares favourably to the net increase in 2019 (18,016 domains). We continue to gain market share against .com with .ie at 51% of hosted domains. IE Domain Registry CLG t/a .IE / Annual Report & Review 2020 6 Chief Executive's Report

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