The organisation behind .pro has received approval to make the top-level domain available to users "anywhere in the world".
On Tuesday, RegistryPro, the exclusive operator of the top-level domain (TLD), said it had achieved ICANN approval for its plan to make .pro available to "any professional or professional entity holding credentials from a certifying governmental authority anywhere in the world".
The TLD has until now only been available to accountants, engineers, lawyers and medical professionals in Canada, Germany, the UK and the US.
"This is a significant milestone for .pro," said RegistryPro general manager Catherine Sigmar. "By approving these changes, ICANN has given us the opportunity to open up .pro to tens of millions of licensed and credentialed professionals and entities across the globe."
RegistryPro has also changed its registration process for .pro domains. Whereas applicants previously had to submit written documentation of their credentials, they now only need to say what type of certification they hold, who they work for and what their licence number is.
The organisation will monitor new and renewed registrations, and registrants will need to annually reaffirm that they are "using the registration for the professional purpose as intended".
ReigstryPro plans to officially "relaunch" the .pro TLD on 14 July.
I can't see this domain namespace becoming the rage in Australia. In most cases those who qualify for a .pro can also qualify for a .com.au, which is not only far more popular but also rolls off the tongue a lot better.
Some people and entities may buy domains in the .pro space for protection of their trademarks but this will lead more to cybersquatting more than anything else.