RegistryPro Partners with ChoicePoint® to Authenticate Professional Eligibility of .PRO Registrants
Leading Provider of Background Checking Services Selected to Cross-Verify Professional Eligibility Information for .PRO Registrants
CHICAGO - May 21, 2003 - RegistryPro (www.registrypro.pro), the exclusive operator of the .PRO top level domain (TLD), has chosen ChoicePoint (NYSE: CPS), one of the nation's leading providers of identification and credential verification services, to authenticate identity and professional eligibility information submitted by doctors, lawyers and certified public accountants (CPAs) registering for domain names with the .PRO extension.
The .PRO extension is a new TLD that will be available exclusively for professionals, initially, doctors, lawyers and CPAs. In order to be eligible for a .PRO domain name, professionals must certify that they are professionals and that they meet the requirements of their profession in their jurisdiction. The eligibility information provided will then be cross-verified by ChoicePoint against appropriate state, local or professional licensing databases to establish a match with the information submitted by each registrant. These measures are designed to enforce the .PRO domain name eligibility restrictions, in a way that no other top-level domain has done to date.
"By partnering with ChoicePoint to authenticate professional eligibility information, RegistryPro is aligning itself with a leader in identification and credential verification checking services," said Timothy Gelman, Chief Executive Officer of RegistryPro. "The .PRO domain will help create a community where professionals can distinguish themselves online. This relationship with ChoicePoint will enable us to do so with great confidence."
"The .PRO extension is a revolutionary offering that is a perfect fit with ChoicePoint's expertise in authentication and verification," said Michael Reene, ChoicePoint Vice President and General Manager - Public Records Group. "Our services will create significant value for .PRO registrants and all Internet users by confirming a professional's claim about their identity. This service also complements ChoicePoint's commitment to employing the positive power of information."
ChoicePoint will be responsible for authenticating a professional's identity by matching personal and professional information provided by the registrant, against ChoicePoint's database of records and against external state licensing board records. Once the personal information is positively matched at the time of the application, the registrant will receive a .PRO domain name and be issued a digital certificate. The cross-verification process will not only be used in the registration of .PRO domain names, but in the issuance of digital certificates that will be issued to each .PRO registrant. The value of an authenticated domain name is that it provides an easy way to identify a professional practice or professional name on the Internet.
About .PRO, The Internet for Professionals
Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, RegistryPro is the ICANN-designated operator of the .PRO TLD.
Since launching in 2004, .PRO has become an important tool for businesses, organizations and individuals in building trusted relationships throughout the world. In many languages, "pro" is synonymous with dedication, skill, and vision – the .PRO name allows people to capture that distinctive character. Whether developing a brand, refining an identity, or promoting a specialty, .PRO offers every business and professional the opportunity to enhance their image by adding a powerful, easy-to-identify name to their online presence and web-based products.