NLIA for People All Around the World

MONGOLIA
BULGARIA
KAZAKHSTAN
TURKEY
USA
JAPAN
KOREA
LEBANON
MEXICO
BANGLADESH
THAILAND
VIETNAM
INDONESIA
MALAYSIA
CHILE
Commercialization
Test Operation
Sunrise Operation
Netpia is building a global service network of NLIA
Completed : Korea, Turkey, USA, Japan, Mongolia
In Service : Chile, Indonesia, Iraq, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico , Thailand, Bangladesh, Vietnam
In Progress : Argentina, Bulgaria, Brazil, China, Czech, Egypt, Greece, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovakia, Taiwan, Tunisia, Ukraine
Test Completed : Albania, Algeria, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, Dominica Republic, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany,
Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Latvia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Macauo, Maldives,Macedonia, Moldova, Monaco,
Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Rumania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, UAE, UK, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Yemen, Zimbabwe
Comments from around the World
It’s truly impressive and amazing that Korea is making such efforts to bridge the digital divide around the world.
- Her Royal Highness the Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand
Since Netpia’s technology become available in Turkey, many people and organizations are using NLIA in their internet
access. As a result, they can communicate more effectively.
- Murat Ozbilen, CEO of Netpia Turkey
Native Language Internet Address is very important and it should help increase internet accessibility of all the people in the
world, especially people who are using local languages.
- Adama SAMASSEKOU, President of WSIS Preparatory Committee/President of the African Academy of Languages/Former Minister of Education
Using Cyrillic names as Internet Address will increase the use of internet itself in which Bulgaria is a little bit behind for now.
- Orlin Koujov, CEO of ICT Development Agency, Bulgaria
Choosing a good solution is vital to NLIA businesses, NLIA certainly provides the best solution we’ve ever experienced.
Since we adopted Netpia’s solution, a number of people who are not familiar with English, are interested in NLIA service.
Through local language Internet service, government and corporation can easily and effectively promote their brands and
products.
- Dr.Enkhbat, CEO of DATACOM, Mongolia
Head Office
USA
China w/Philippines
Japan
Seoul, South Korea
inquiry@netpiacorp.com
TEL: +82-2-2165-3032
FAX: +82-2-2165-7379
3003 N. 1st Street, #331
San Jose, CA 95134, USA
TEL: +1-408-432-5087
FAX: +1-408-432-5089
NetpiaPhils, Inc Unit 4502 Summit
One Tower, 530 Shaw Boulevard,
Mandaluyong City 1552 Philippines
Tel. +63-2-532-3343
iPARK Tokyo 18F Shin-Kasumigaseki Bldg,
3-3-2 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda ku 100-0013,
Tokyo, Japan
TEL: +81-3-3580-7015
FAX: +81-3-3580-7017
NLIA for People All Around the World
Replace “Revolution in the address bar” with :
The next generation Internet Address
Multilingual Keyword Address
For Internet
Utopia with NLIA
What if the ROAD SIGNS on the highway are
NOT in your own NATIVE LANGUAGE?
With NLIA, navigation becomes fast and easy.
On the information highway, the Internet Address is the road sign that gives users the direction they need. Netpia has
We firmly believe that the Internet should pave the way for an equitable global society,
in which people of all languages and cultures experience the full benefits of a truly
advanced technology. However, the Internet needs to be updated with appropriate
solutions that will improve users’ experience in navigation. Thus, we continue to
dedicate ourselves to providing the global multilingual users with a user-friendly and
intuitive Internet navigation system -- the Native Language Internet Address (NLIA).
always aimed to keep this road sign as simple as possible.
In 1997, Netpia revolutionized the information highway for the global users by developing the Native Language Internet
Address (NLIA). Today, Internet users are able to easily navigate through the cyberspace by typing very simple road
signs -- keywords in the native language -- at the address bar, instead of typing a complicated URL
NLIA Opens the Gateway of Knowledge-Based Society
Our mission is to bridge the digital divide caused by the difference between people
who are able to easily navigate the Internet and people who do not even want to
begin surfing the Web as they are discouraged from typing an Internet address in a
foreign language. The perfect solution for this scenario is the NLIA. As it enables
straightforward keyword Internet Address in the natural language, the NLIA will draw
more users to the Internet. As such, e-commerce will thrive, and world economy will
expand and rise to new levels.
No one needs to be technologically savvy or proficient in English to surf the sea of
information. We are envisioning a world where everyone can easily use the Internet
and share information and joy with the rest of the world. We have been continuously
pushing forward to realizing a global Internet Utopia.
The NLIA has made Internet browsing more convenient for everyone. With NLIA’s revolutionary addressing
system, the gateway to the sea of information becomes wide open to everybody in the world regardless of
the spoken language. Since the language barrier at the address bar has been effectively broken, more
users from across the globe are encouraged to explore the Internet, paving the way to a knowledgebased economy.
Information and communication technologies are sometimes not enough to help a country
realize a sustainable knowledge-based economy. The technologies must always be simple
and user-friendly; and that is where the NLIA comes along
That’s why
Society.
the NLIA is called the infrastructure of Information
Replace “Revolution in the address bar” with :
The next generation Internet Address
Multilingual Keyword Address
Why NLIA?
Evolution of Internet Address
“Fast Track to e-Commerce & e-Government ”
“ Stairway to Simplicity & Convenience ”
The Processing Method of each Internet Address System
Native Language Internet Address
While the Internet has significantly contributed to the development of ecommerce in the English speaking nations, other countries are still not keen
on fully exploring the Internet mainly because of the lack of Internet address in
their own language. With this in mind, Netpia has created a multilingual
keyword address system that makes Internet navigation very easy for
everyone in the world.
September, 1999
November, 2000
Internationalized Domain
March, 1985
Netpia’s main service, the Native Language Internet Address, was a
pioneering solution that was developed in 1997 and commercialized in Korea
in 1999. This system drove the Internet traffic to new heights, such that the
servers received 27 million queries each day. This enormous improvement is
also evident in a data from ITU, where Korea was 24th in Digital Access Index
in 1998 but has dramatically jumped the 4th place in 2002. A significant
positive increase in the Internet traffic means online commercial transactions
are thriving. Needless to say, e-commerce has boomed in Korea.
Economy was not the only sector that has benefited from the NLIA. The
Korean Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs has also
utilized the NLIA to better serve the people. Consequently, the public has
been enjoying an easier access to government websites.
- Internationalized Domain (www.넷피아.com)
- English Domain (www.netpia.com)
- IP Address (211.218.148.170)
- Puny Code (xn-t60b739anul.com)
- IP Address (211.218.148.170)
English Domain
1957
- IP Address (211.218.148.170)
1st Generation : IP address (http://211.218.148.170)
- Machine address composed of nearly random 12-digits numbers. Difficult to remember. Stumbling block against Internet popularization.
- Evolving from Ipv4 into Ipv6.
2nd Generation : English Domain Name (http://www.netpia.com)
- Easier to recognize than IP Address.
- Simulated e-commerce and e-government mostly in English-speaking countries.
- Top level domain can be added when necessary.
2.5 Generation : Internationalized Domain Name (http://www.넷피아.com)
Everything that the NLIA has brought to Korea’s economy, it can most
certainly bring to any country in the world. To date, the NLIA has been tested
in 95 countries. It is also offered in Thailand, Indonesia, Mexico, Malaysia,
Mongolia, China, Vietnam, and the USA among other countries.
Netpia believes that economic progress through a language-friendly Internet
should be enjoyed by all the nations in the world. Further, regardless of
language, culture, gender and age, everyone should be able to use the
Internet easily. It is the only way to bridge the digital divide and fully utilize the
information tools provided by the Internet
- Transitional Internet Address called IDN has been developed initially to fulfill the need of non-English speaking people.
But inconvenience and confusion due to compulsory typing both English and Native language.
- Not the real name. Doesn’t look natural.
- Have same hierarchical structure as existing English domain name -> If root server fails, it cannot be used.
3rd Generation : Native Language Internet Address (http://넷피아)
- Easier to recognize because real names in native languages are used.
- Server-based solution without prefix (www) and suffixes (.com, .kr and etc.) that provides convenient addressing.
- The alternative resolution in case of domain root server failure.
- Improving the efficiency of domain root server by sharing the load.
- Successfully implemented in Korea and fully ready for 95 different countries.
Replace “Revolution in the address bar” with :
The next generation Internet Address
Multilingual Keyword Address
Business Model
Native Language Internet Address
Native Language Internet Group Name
Who should use NLIA & NLIGN?
NLIA is the next-generation Internet address composed of real
names in any local language. The NLIA system is the alternative
to legacy Internet address system which requires www, dots and
hierarchical English domain names. With NLIA system, a
person’s real name, company or brand name, telephone number
or even anniversary date can be the Internet address.
Currently, Netpia’s NLIA system supports languages of 95
different countries.
For Advertisers
For Users
For Partners
Provide effective
maketing tool through
Easy Address & EasyLink
Provide easier and
more convenient
way to access the internet
Provide revenue
creating opportunities
NLIA solution supports the languages of the following 95 COUNTRIES
Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada,
Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech, Denmark, Dominica, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Finland, France, Germany,
Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan,
Kazakhstan, Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco,
Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Oman, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Rumania,
Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad,
Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, UAE, UK, USA, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe
Keyword Advertising
· Next Generation Internet address
· Gateway to White Page
· Easily Recognizable
· Next Generation Internet Group Name
NLIA
NLIGN
· Gateway to Yellow Page
· Tailor-made local information for
target audience
· Display the list of website
included summary
information related on
typed keyword
· Directly link to the
designated website
Replace “Revolution in the address bar” with :
The next generation Internet Address
Multilingual Keyword Address
NLeA
Similar to NLIA, Native Language e-Mail Address(홍길동@넷피아) is the e-Mail service in any native language. NLeA
sets the non-English speaking users free from confusing English e-Mail address.
“Highly effective communication and unique personalized cyber identity”
Why NLeA?
A survey was conducted in Korea to find out the amount of time being spent on relaying an English e-Mail address. The results
showed that Koreans spend 33 seconds on the average to relay an English e-Mail address, even more than 60 seconds to confirm
one address. Now, imagine if we use e-Mail addresses in the native language? We can save a lot of time! The Internet was evidently
not equally user-friendly to English and non-English users. But now, we can just type simple Internet addresses in our native
language if we want to send an e-Mail.
Instead of using only English letters as e-Mail addresses, NLeA solution allows the users to create e-Mail addresses using their
natural language. The address has only two parts: the username and the NLIA. This is a major breakthrough in the Internet address
technology, and it literally personalizes the user’s cyber identity.
NLeA is more convenient and intuitive to both parties of e-Mail communication because the e-Mail address consists of real
words in the users’ native language.
NLeA Services
Web-based Service
- Provides NLeA API to web mail portals
- When you type Chinese e-Mail (@) in e-Mail address bar, it gets the corre-sponding English e-Mail address from DB server.
Advantages of Native Language e-Mail Address
Personalized e-Mail address
The user can be creative in signing up an e-Mail account. You can pick your nickname, your job description or whatever indicates
you for your e-Mail address in your own language.
Easy relay
Now you don’t have to spell out your e-Mail address over and over again because your e-Mail address consists of real words in your
native language. It’s very easy.
High recall
Recipients will remember your e-Mail address easily and keep your e-Mail address in mind intuitively.
Available in diverse e-Mail clients
Through a customization process, the Native Language e-Mail Address (NLeA) solution is compatible with any web mail system. It is
operated according to each respective mechanism, thus doing no harm to the existing mail servers.
Easy to write and send
The Native Language e-Mail Address (NLeA) service is provided based on the Native Language Address solution. Therefore, with
the service, users can send e-Mails through the address bar.
Client-based Service
- linked with Mail Client Software, such as outlook and MS outlook (MUA), which requires NLeA plug-in. So, we need to download
and install it from the internet.
- Need to consider Distribution Channels.
Replace “Revolution in the address bar” with :
The next generation Internet Address
Multilingual Keyword Address
NLIA Success Stories in Korea
“Give Easier Access to Your Audience! ”
Native Language Internet Address changed lives in Korea dramatically. It streamlined the old-fashioned government administration
and speeded up the commercial activities on the web.
e-Commerce
GSeshop
Internet Shopping Mall
When GSeshop, an online shopping mall run by GS, added ‘Silver’
category, there were a lot of concerns: Would it be easy for a
senior citizen to type English characters into the address bar? How
can we help them to memorize the site address? What about www
and the dot? But those concerns were easily eliminated when
GSeshop adopted the NLIA service! With NLIA, senior citizens are
able to type
GS이숍, the matching Korean word for GSeshop. Indeed,
customer satisfaction is guaranteed by NLIA.
The 17th General Election 2004
This is what we call “digital democracy!”
Over 90% of candidates have registered NLIA for their homepages.
It eliminated unnecessary expenses and election-related
corruption. NLIA also has enabled both candidates and voters to
communicated “interactively”
The 17th General Election Goes Cyber
e-Government Story
All Local Governments Go Digital
Korean government has decided to incorporate NLIA into their egovernment service in order to grant easy accessibility to the
public. Now every local government has its Korean Internet
Address.
Access to Digital Public Service : Type 충주시청(ChungJoo City Hall
in Korean) into your address bar.
Online Directory Service
Joins.com Profile Directory
Profile Database Provided by Media Portal
In the past, people had to use the search bar to find information
regarding a certain public figure. Now you can just type a person’s
name into the address bar with the word 인물정보, which means
“personal information” in Korean. For example, you type
박세리인물정보 or 인물정보박세리 into the address bar. You are
directed to the webpage showing the Seri Pak’s profile that you are
looking for. This NLIA-incorporated service is provided by
Joins.com, media portal managed by Joongang Ilbo Media.
Online Contents Business
SayClub
Internet Chatting & Community Site
SayClub is a Korean Internet portal which is well known to
funloving kids for its online communities and chatting programs.
내방네방, meaning “My Room Your Room” in Korean, is the title of
an online drama played on SayClub. The audience look into each
character’s ‘room’ and his or her life in there. This is a new concept
of online theater. And the title of any drama is more than just a
literal meaning. Even though many Korean youngsters understand
words in plain English, typing 내방네방 in the address bar feels
totally different and more convenient. Definitely, SayClub has
succeeded to attract more traffic. That’s the name of the game in
the cutting-edge online content business.
Replace “Revolution in the address bar” with :
The next generation Internet Address
Multilingual Keyword Address
Global Alliance
NLIA Registrars / Resellers
(On-line service providers, ISP, portals corporate, etc.)
Within a country there can be multiple authorized NLIA Registrars
and NLIA Resellers by the corresponding NLIA Local Operator.
The NLIA Local Operator provide win-win partnership models to
these local registrars and resellers where they play very important
roles as distributing NLIA and creating NLIA infrastructure.
Infrastructure
NLIA Infrastructure Partners
(ISP, portals, corporate, academic institutions, public organizations, etc.)
NLIA infrastructure Partners could significantly:
- Increase traffic by providing additional Internet Address
- Increase potential non-English speaking market customers
- Gain secured, better Name Server performances
- Gain advantages from NLIA Name Server that features enhanced
functions
- Gain new source of revenue created from NLIA
Overview
Netpia believes that strong alliances are not only the key to success in our Native Language Internet Address business; it is also
Netpia’s bridge to reach out to every Internet user. Netpia’s current partners consist of Strategic Partners, Infrastructure Partners and
Business Partners. Partners areprovided with the NLIA Name Server, which implements the Native Language Internet Address.
Infrastructure Partners install NLIA Name Server on their existing name server, jointly providing Native Language Internet Address.
Strategic Partners include major ISPs, public organizations, universities and private enterprises. Business Partners provide
registration service for Native Language Internet Address and domain name via their current website. These partners constitute
Netpia’s worldwide network. Netpia will constantly strive to diversify, but at the same time specialize, its partnerships
NLIA infrastructure Partners Will require:
- Testing of NLIA Name Server Solution & NLIA Resolution Service
- Installation of NLIA Name Server
- Resolutions of NLIA
- Partner as NLIA Distribution Channel
Strategic
Business
NLIA Strategic Partners
(Public organizations, academic institutions, civil societies, media, etc.)
NLIA Local Operator
(On-line service providers, ISP, corporate, public organization, academic
institution, etc)
In each country, Netpia secures a partner that can be the NLIA
Local Operator for the respective country. This will be the central
organization that is responsible for maintaining the Local Operation
and NLIA databases. All Native Language Internet Addresss in
respective country have to be registered through the Local
Operator. The Local Operator sets local prices, policies, standards,
etc. with the help of local public bodies, civil societies, etc. Netpia
will work closely with the Local Operator to provide business and
technical assistance.
NLIA Strategic Partners are cooperating to build a hub for the new
Internet-related industries and allow non-English speaking countries to
secure their position in Internet governance, helping to establish an
effective e-government and resolving the digital divide across the
world.
Replace “Revolution in the address bar” with :
The next generation Internet Address
Multilingual Keyword Address
Global Activities
“Netpia is leading the globalization of Native Language Internet Address”
EXPO COMM 2006
Netpia participated in Expo Comm 2006, which was held from May 10th ~ 13th, 2006 in Moscow, Russia.
Native Language Internet
Address introduced in UN Press
Cairo ICT 2006
Netpia participated in Cairo ICT 2006, which was held from February 5th ~ 8th, 2006 in Egypt. During the
exhibition’s 10thanniversary, Netpia introduced and showcased its NLIA system in especially that Egypt and a large
number of Middle East countries are in need of the company’s unique solutions.
Native language Internet Consortium
Netpia became a member of NLIC in November 2005
Since 1998, the ITU has held the WSIS for a variety of issues. Among them, through Digital Divide,
which presents the issue of digital divide among countries, this article covers the significance of the
Native Language Internet Address (NLIA) of Netpia and suggests that NLIA is an important tool to
bridge the gap of the IT industry all around the world.
ISPCON FALL 2004
Netpia Korea and Netpia International in USA has participated in ISPCON Fall 2004 held in Santa Clara, California,
in November 2004.
CeBIT 2004/2007
Netpia presented NLIA(Native Language Internet Address) solutions supports in the language of 95 countries.
WSIS Geneva, Switzerland 2003
Netpia participated in the first phase of WSIS as the only business entity from Korea. December 2003
ITU TELECOM WORLD 2003
Netpia demonstrated the NLIA solution in the languages of 95 countries. August 2003
WITFOR Vilnius 2003
Netpia presented the NLIA solution in the languages of countries. August 2003
Summer Universiade Daegu 2003
Netpia provided its NLIA solution in the languages of 95 countries for athletes and the press from all over the world.
August 2003
APRICOT Singapore 1999
Netpia demonstrated NLIA solution to the world for the first time in Korean, Chinese and Japanese. February 1999
ICANN Meeting & IETF Meeting
Netpia is participating in these meetings every year, which are two major Internet-related conferences.
This article reproduced here are extracts from Digital Reach, an ITU
copyright publication published by Tudor Rose for The World Summit on the
Information Society (WSIS), 16-18 November 2005, Tunisia,
First published in November 2005. ISBN 92-61-11361-3.
To purchase a copy of Digital Reach please contact the publishers by
telephone on +44 (0) 116 222 9900.
From the left picture
The Turkish Internet Address service has launched (Istanbul, Turkey, July, 2005)
The LOLA Signing Ceremony was held at Netpia (Seoul, Korea. December 2005)
Bulgarian Language Internet Address pilot service launched
(Sofia, Bulgaria, March 2004)
Netpia signed Local Operator License Agreement (LOLA) with MappointAsia, a partner from Thailand to provide Thai Internet Address service.
(Bangkok, Thailand. January 2007)
Netpia signed Local Operator License Agreement (LOLA) with TM Net, a partner from Malaysia to provide Malay Internet Address service.
(Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. March 2007)
Replace “Revolution in the address bar” with :
The next generation Internet Address
Multilingual Keyword Address
Diagram showing the growth of Korean Internet address usage
Transforming the digital divide into
the digital opportunity:
The Netpia Native Language Internet Address
Netpia, Korea
HE ORIGIN OF the Internet was the A dvanced Research
Projects Agency Network (ARPANet). It was developed in
1969 and used mainly by experts to exchange information
between remote computers for academic and military purposes.
Throughout the 1970s, Internet use gradually increased with the
introduction of the IP address system. However, difficulties in using
this system continued to impose limits on the use of the Internet.
Since the 1980s, there has been explosive growth in Internet use
after the United States Department of Commerce (US DoC)
organized and distributed domain names that people would feel more
comfortable with than IP addresses. This resulted in the growth of
Internet-related industries and the birth of the new economy, and the
evolution of the US into a high-tech based economy.
The growth of the Internet has dramatically changed many
things. Because the Internet has become so popular and
widespread, people are affected by it regardless of their age,
culture or language. With the Internet turning into a whole new land
to pioneer, individual countries are working hard to expand their
territory and to maintain an influence in the form of their own
domain address system. Without this evolution of user-friendly
Internet addresses from the original IP address system, the era of
the dotcom industry would not have arrived.
T
Promises and pitfalls of the Internet
In the long-run, however, domain names have been the cause of
both hopes and despairs. The growth of domain names ending in
.com has been limited to one language, English. In contrast with the
past, people today gain a great deal of information from the
Internet. Therefore, countries or people that are not familiar with
English are bound to fall behind in an era of information technology.
Consequently, English-speaking countries have been able to
continue to accumulate wealth through a rapid growth of
Internetrelated industries by using the Internet as a common
service among the public. Meanwhile, social and economic
development has been relatively slow in non English-speaking
countries, which account for more of the world’s land and
population than Englishspeaking countries.
Many areas of the world are only beginning to gain access to the
Internet, and the Native Language Internet Address (NLIA) will help
users in these areas to learn how to access important information
using their own language. Using NLIA will also help them to
establish skills and pride in their own culture and language,
because they will not be forced to use English in order to use the
Internet. Netpia predicts that the NLIA solution will help millions of
non-English speaking Internet users around the world to navigate
the web through easier and more intuitive access to the Internet.
The Native Language Internet Address
Netpia.com developed the NLIA in 1997. It has enabled nonEnglish speakers and those who are not very familiar with English
to access information freely using the Internet, a task that previously
proved difficult for them. For example, with the commercialization
and popularity of the Native Language (Korean) Internet Address
service in 1999, Korea’s ranking in the International
Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) Digital Access Index jumped
from 24th in 1998 to 4th in 2002, signifying Korea as the first
country to experience an increase in growth rate. The secret
weapon in Korea’s significant development as a representative of
non-English speaking countries, with its unique alphabet systems,
lies in the NLIA system.
Unlike English-language domain names, NLIA is an Internet
address which does not sideline anybody in any way. Regardless of
the country or ethnic group they belong to, anyone who can read
and write their native language can have easy access to the wealth
of information on the Internet. Instead of using complicated strings
of Roman English letters with prefixes and suffixes, users can type
meaningful and intuitive words in their own language directly in the
address bar to reach websites. This is not another search engine,
but a one-to-one address mapping system. And because it is a
serverbased solution, it provides ubiquitous coverage no matter
which operation system, browser, or device is being used to access
the Internet. People using older computers and those using the
newest wireless devices will benefit from the same solution. In this
regard, NLIA provides a ‘knowledge gateway’ to the Internet for
everyone.
The convenience of NLIA
Under the English-language domain names system, users can
encounter difficulties in guessing the names of websites and their
top-level domains (TLDs). Therefore, people tend to run search
engines in their native languages and select one of the web sites
among the list of results. Occasionally, people even end up visiting
several web sites before reaching the one they were looking for. An
increasing number of Internet users have experienced this type of
inconvenience as the existing domains have become saturated.
NLIA is a keyword-based Internet address presented in natural
language. It is a third-generation technology that provides Internet
users with an environment where they are free from hard-toremember English domain name containing ‘www’ and full-points,
and can use their own language to access information. Moreover,
because it is in the users’ native languages, it is more intuitive and
users are able to guess the Internet address they are looking for
much more easily. Because NLIA guarantees interoperability and
compatibility with the domain name system, it is also ready to be
used without any modification of or changes to existing applications,
and without the or installation of new ones.
NLIA is easy to remember and convenient to use, and has been
a leader in transforming the computer-oriented Internet address
system into a human-oriented one with the goal of helping people
around the world use real-name Internet addresses in their own
native language.
Success in Korea
Korea, the first country to adopt the NLIA system, has witnessed
remarkable development. Internet usage rates increased rapidly
nationwide, bridging the information gap substantially among various
sectors in society. Korea’s success in rising to fourth place in the ITU
Digital Access Index for 2002 was compounded by the country's rise
from 17th place in 2003 to fifth place in the United Nations’ Global eGovernment Readiness rankings in December 2004.
In Korea it is quite common to see people who do not know a
word of English, such as the elderly or young children, using NLIA
to access the Internet, conduct e-commerce, find important
information, and get benefits from e-Government services without
difficulties.
Currently, all of Korea’s local government web sites, in
association with the Ministry of Government Administration and
Home Affairs, have registered their Korean Internet Address,
helping the Korean people to access civil services online more
easily. In addition, during the 17th General Election campaigns,
more than 90 per cent of the National Assembly candidates
registered their homepages using the Korean Internet Address,
giving voters easier access to information about them.
The online election campaigns turned out to be more effective by
cutting costs and time as well as enabling the exchange of opinions
compared to the old-fashioned offline promotions. The new Internet
address system has helped realize a genuine digital democracy by
eradicating irregularities arising from offline campaigns and by
establishing apparent election campaigns.
Status quo for the globalization of NLIA
NLIA has completed its test for languages that are now being used
in 95 different countries. The commercialized service has already
been launched in Korea, Turkey and Thailand, while pilot services
are being provided in Japan, Bulgaria and Mongolia. In addition, a
lot of efforts have been devoted to the preparation of service
commercialization in the regions traditionally considered to be nonEnglish speaking countries, such as Greece, and Malaysia, and
some Arabic countries.
International activities have been undertaken including
participation in Internet address-related organizations such as
ICANN, IETF, ITU, and APRICOT. In particular, the ITU started
discussing the possible technical standardization of NLIA in 2004.
In November 2004 Dr Kangsik Cheon, who has been actively
involved in numerous international meetings as a member of
Netpia, was appointed a member of the United Nations Working
Group on Internet Governance (WGIG) by UN Secretary General,
Mr Kofi Annan.
In September 2005, Netpia sponsored a group of world-class
Internet multilingualization experts to organize a preparation
workshop for the Native Language Internet (NLI) consortium.
Representatives from numerous countries and organizations
attended this intense preparation workshop to share in a highlevel
discussion of the current condition of the digital divid, and to
underline the benefits and the merits of NLIA. The event
accentuated a strong sense of Internet equality through NLIA as a
major solution in helping to bridge the digital divide. Louis Pouzin, a
legendary figure in the Internet society, agreed to serve as interim
chairman at the workshop, to oversee the worldwide promotion and
implementation of Internet multilingualization.
A follow-up meeting was held in Tunis in November 2005,
corresponding with the second phase of the World Summit on the
Information Society (WSIS). The NLI consortium was finally
inaugurated at this meeting. Six board members, including Mr
Pouzin as chairman, had been elected, taking into account the
geographical balance of the world. Netpia considers the launch of
the consortium to be a major milestone in the globalization of the
NLIA service, with long-anticipated movement by the partner
organization towards promoting Internet multilingualization. With the
Replace “Revolution in the address bar” with :
The next generation Internet Name
Multilingual Keyword Address
Achievements
2008
01 · Signed Local Operator License Agreement with VDC in Vietnam
2007
07 · Signed Local Operator License Agreement with Tumur in Kazakhstan
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Signed Local Operator License Agreement with Bangladesh
Signed NDA on Native Language Internet Address with VN in Vietnam
Signed MOU/NDA with ALFA-Support in Serbia (Montenegro)
Signed MOU with Dynamic in Chile to provide VAS (Customized Toolbar & PC-Clean)
Signed Local Operator License Agreement with Malaysia
Signed Local Operator License Agreement with Thailand
2006
10 · Signed Local Operator License Agreement with Mexico
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Her Royal Highness the Princess Maha Chkri Sirindhorn of Thailand visited Netpia head office (Seoul, Korea, October 2004)
spirit of genuine partnership in mind, Netpia has committed the
consortium to fully supporting its activities towards realizing the
vision of ‘Internet for everyone’.
Effects from the introduction of NLIA
As proven in Korea, the NLIA service has been effective in narrowing
the digital divide. Indeed, its effects can be shared by those not only
in developing countries, but also in advanced non Englishspeaking
regions of advanced countries. Considering that the information gap
exists between those who can speak English and those who cannot,
even in advanced countries, including France and Germany, the
introduction of the NLIA service is essential.
English-speaking countries that have the upper hand in the IT
industry might also enjoy positive effects from the active use of the
Internet in non English-speaking countries. Eventually, an
increased Internet penetration rate in the non English-speaking
countries will follow in the growth of the mark et by presenting more
opportunities to export the latest technologies.
NLIA also has far-reaching effects on Internet infrastructure and in
other related industries. For instance, NLIA has boosted e-commerce
activities in Korea, which stimulated that country’s economic
growth. In the long run, NLIA will help to develop IT-related
industries such as software and hardware. NLIA will give birth to big
new enterprises in much the same way as domain name-related
industries have done in the past (e.g. Microsoft, eBay, Yahoo,
Google, Amazon and Hewlett-Packard). This will present further
opportunity to increase the number of Internet users worldwide. It is
therefore in the best interests of governments around the world to
adopt NLIA in their endeavours to enable national growth and
empowerment.
Netpia’s NLIA system, which allows the free use of ‘real’ offline
names, has been catching the public eye as the key alternative that
will guide users in the information society of the future.
NLIA is an Internet address that is easy to remember and
convenient to use. The system has been leading the way to
transforming the computer-oriented Internet address system into a
human-oriented one, and which can enable people around the
world in the ubiquitous computing era to use native language
Internet addresses in a convenient manner. The Internet is no
longer a sanctuary for the privileged few, for one particular
language, or for one culture.
Netpia is dedicated to providing user-friendly, intuitive Internet
access through the NLIA system, and tak es pride in being part of
the global effort to bridge the digital divide caused by the language
barrier. As Director Houlin Zhao of ITU-T stated: “Innovation like
NLIA can certainly introduce greater fuel to the global ICT services.
To enable people to use their own language to access the Internet
is fundamentally an act of defending human dignity and equality. To
promote the NLIA will eventually contribute to the global efforts to
bridge the digital divide. The world will have to take action to
support the needs of developing countries in this respect. I hope the
business community will follow Netpia to work on this issue.” NLIA,
which combines real names and cyber identities, will take its place
as a standard in the ne xt generation of the Internet as well as the
ubiquitous age.
Signed NDA with Telefonica O2 of Czech Republic
Signed Local Operator License Agreement with Lebanon (Iraq)
Signed Local Operator License Agreement with Lebanon
Commencement of Japanese Internet Address Service in Japan
Signed Local Operator License Agreement with Mongolia
Opera has entered alliances and partnerships with Netpia
Commencement of Native Language Internet Address, ‘Easy Address’ Service in U.S
Signed service agreement with Republic of Korea Army to provide Native Language E-Mail Service
2005
11 · Signed Local Operator License Agreement with Indonesia
09
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Signed Local Operator License Agreement with Chile
Hold NLIA & Name Global Conference 2005 in Seoul
Signed Local Operator License Agreement with Turkey
The Special Prize of Telecommunication Technology & Service, Small & Medium Business Award of 2004
Pan Jung LEE, CEO, won the first Digital CEO Award (by Digital e-CEO of Korea) Opening of the commission for Protecting Korean Internet Address
2004
04 · Signed MOU on Native Language Internet Service with Ghana
· Signed MOU on Native Language Internet Service with IMPSAT, South American Internet Service provider
10 · Native Language Internet Address was placed on the agenda of ITU-T officially
07 · Opened the Netpia Japan Office in Tokyo
03 · Signed MOU with INA in Greece
2003
12 · Signed MOU with The Computers Limited of Bangladesh
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· Signed MOU with Bulgarian Government for implementation of Bulgarian Language Internet Address service to Government &
Academic network of Bulgaria
· Serviced Internet Address in the languages of 95 countries during 2003 Summer Universiade Daegu
· Commercial Launching of Korean e-mail service
· All 250 state agencies under MOGAHA (The Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs)
has registered their Korean Internet Address
· Acquired patent on “Searching method based on Internet”
2002
09 · Acquired patent on “System for accessing webpage using many languages and method thereof”
08 · Obtained a patent for method of accessing Internet computer network by real name (Japan)
07 · Acquired keywords from HINC (Korean registrar of Realnames Inc.)
05 · Strategic partnership with GNG Networks, KT and Naver
· Launched commercial service of Direct-Link Service and Numeric Internet Address Service
2001
10 · Signed MOU on joint-development of Chinese Internet Address service with CNNIC
07 · Agreed on joint-development of Chinese Internet Address Service with Netage, Japan.
06 · Signed the contract on providing Thai Internet Address system solution with NIPA Inc. Thailand
2000
11 · Selected as the official registrar of Korean domain name by KRNIC.
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Launched Internationalized Domain Names service
World's first commercialization of Server-based Korean Internet Address System
Launched registration service of global domain names
Officially accredited as Shared registrar by ICANN
1999
09 · Native Language Internet Address commercial service launched
Preparing for the future with NLIA
Today’s information society is rapidly moving towards the IPv6-based
next-generation Internet and ubiquitous environment, further
emphasizing the need for the implementation of the NLIA system. In
the future, when everybody has an IP address and all electronic
equipment is controlled using IP addresses, assigning complex
English domain names to all equipment will be impossible. Therefore,
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02 · Launched world’s first Native Language Internet Address Service in 3 languages (Korean, Chinese, Japanese)
1998
12 · Acknowledged as Superior New Technology by Ministry of Information & Communication, Korea
The Turkish Internet Address service has been launched
(Istanbul, Turkey, July 2005)
1997
07 · Developed the world's first Native Language Internet Address system