Digital Business Ireland (DBI), the digital and online representative body and IE Domain Registry, the home of .ie today announced they have partnered to promote the benefits of online and e-commerce  to the 3,400 strong business community that make up DBI.

IE Domain Registry is committed to digital advocacy for SMEs through its initiatives and research, such as the SME Digital Health Index which provides key insights into the digital health of SMEs. The company manages .ie, the official country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) for the island of Ireland, which is the preferred online address for businesses in Ireland.

Speaking about the partnership, Chief Executive of Digital Business Ireland, Lorraine Higgins said “We are delighted to partner with IE Domain Registry especially given the difficult times Irish businesses are currently encountering as many of them pivot to online. We look forward to the new possibilities that the collaboration presents and to working collectively to ensure the prioritisation of digital, online and e-commerce among relevant stakeholders so Irish businesses can benefit from  the exponential growth possibilities that online presents”.

“DBI and IE Domain Registry are aligned and ambitious for the future of online businesses in Ireland and we are excited to bring their insights and research to our community of SMEs”.

David Curtin, CEO of IE Domain Registry said “We are delighted to partner with Digital Business Ireland and play our part in promoting the benefits of digital for Irish business. It is vital that government and policy-makers’ recovery plans include a robust and coherent digital strategy including provision of infrastructure such as national broadband and digital working hubs across the country”.

“Covid-19 resulted in the rapid adoption of online solutions by business owners which demonstrates the creativity and resilience of the sector and an awareness of consumer preferences for digital engagement.  We are pleased to share our insights, ideas and research with the business community and policy makers to help shape the recovery”.

About Digital Business Ireland

Digital Business Ireland (DBI) is the voice of the Irish digital commerce sector. Set up in 2019, DBI has access to over 3,400 businesses and counts Health Stores Ireland, the Association of Fine Jewellers, County Kildare Chamber of Commerce, Women’s Inspire Network, Donegal Women in Business and IPAV among its membership. It continues to grow its membership footprint across a wide range of online and digital businesses to include technology, retail, hospitality, professional services, travel, transport, education, leisure, agri-business and property.

DBI provides a range of services to its membership to include training and events, networking opportunities, general advisory, insights, advocacy and public policy influence all which facilitates digital businesses grow, thrive and achieve their ambitions.

About IE Domain Registry

IE Domain Registry is the national registry for .ie domain names and is responsible for the management and administration of Ireland’s official internet domain, .ie, in the interest of the Irish and global internet communities. It operates the domain name system (DNS) for the .ie namespace, facilitates an independent dispute resolution service, and operates a public WHOIS lookup service for .ie domains.

The company’s mission is to provide unique, identifiably Irish domain names, along with registry and related services, to the local and international internet community.

IE Domain Registry is committed to digital advocacy for the SME community. Through the OPTIMISE Programme and stakeholder engagement initiatives such as Digital Town, the company works with and supports SMEs to improve their online presence and e-commerce capabilities.

IE Domain Registry produces fact-based research for the business community and policymakers, such as the SME Digital Health Index, which provides key insights into the digital health of Irish SMEs.

The company is focused on providing excellence in customer service through its ongoing customer experience (CX) innovation and improvement programmes. Since March 2018, it is easier and faster to register a .ie domain. There are over 280,000 domains in the database.

Based in Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin, IE Domain Registry employs 22 people.