Eurid, otherwise known as the European Registry of Internet Domain names, is a not for profit organization based in Belgium that is specifically established to run the new .eu registry. Eurid has been appointed by the European Commission to handle the registration and management of .eu domain names. In fact, as recent as December 7, 2005, Eurid has begun accepting applications for .eu domain names. Further, if individuals pay close attention to the registration dates, they may be able to take advantage of the .eu registration offers by registering for a .eu domain name with a domain registrar. Let's take a look at how the .eu registration process is framed and how the .eu domain registration process is expected to proceed:

1. First, .eu domains are being rolled out in three phases: Sunrise I, Sunrise II and Landrush. The first phase, Sunrise I, began on December 7th. Further, the second phase of the .eu domain registration process, Sunrise II, expected to commence on February 7th, 2006. Later, the Landrush phase, or phase three is expected to begin on April 7th 2006.

2. In Sunrise I, which began on 7th December, Government bodies were offered first picks on .eu domain registering. Government bodies began registering for domain names and such bodies were located all over the globe. In fact, the highest percentage of .eu domain registration applications have been coming in from Germany, followed by France, the Netherlands, the UK, Belgium, Sweden, Italy and Austria respectively.

3. In Sunrise II, set for February 7th 2006, trademark owners, companies and other holders of established rights can apply for .eu domain registration. In fact .eu domain registrars makes the entire process of registration fast and simple.

4. Due to the fact that the Landrush phase begins April 7th, 2006, a phase that opens up .eu domain registration to everyone, the time to think about registration is now. In fact, .eu domain names are expected to go relatively fast and if you don't have a few .eu domain registration names in mind, you might find that you miss out on a terrific opportunity.

5. It is especially important to note that .eu domains are aimed at business established in Europe or operating across the EU. Therefore, you don't have to necessarily reside in Europe if you want to register for a .eu name, but you can register for a .eu domain name if your website will appeal to a European audience or you desire to conduct business with a European audience. In fact, in registering for an .eu domain name, you are giving the opportunity to increase your web viewing audience and subsequently, you are afforded the opportunity to increase the popularity of your website or business site.

6. It pays to know that .eu domain registration is likely to be popular - as a lot of the most popular domains have gone for .com / co.uk. Thus, once again, signing up for a .eu domain name when the domains are still fairly diverse ensures that you will get a domain name that is easily accessible, relatively short and easy to remember. There is no time like the present and if you are interested in the .eu domain names, you need to sign up for one at a reputable website like www.discountdomainsuk.com as soon as you are possibly able to do so. If you wait, you may not get the .eu domain name you desire and everyone knows that the right domain name can have positive affects on your business or incoming web traffic.

7. There exists a search engine advantage to having your keywords in your domain name. In fact, with keywords in your domain name, your ranking in search engines goes even higher and a high rating in a search engine improves the popularity of your site. Therefore, registering for a new .eu domain name will help you get a domain name that is ranked high in search engines all over the Internet.

8. Now is the time to register for .eu domain names, as it is likely to be popular for the next year then settle down. The reason being is that, at their current pace, .eu domain names are going fast and after the first year or so, the most popular .eu domain names will be gone. So, if you want in on the .eu bandwagon, the time to start thinking about getting a .eu domain name is now.

9. As proof that .eu domain names will go incredibly fast, Eurid announced that they received 80,000 applications during the first hour of business! Such statistics are a testament to the popularity of .eu domain names and it also stands as a good indication that if you don't register quickly, you can miss out on the Internet opportunity of a lifetime.

10. Some 800 registrars have already signed up and are offering .eu domain names. Again, if you want to get on the .eu domain name wave, then you better get yourself to a domain registrar's site and fast! .eu domain names the race is on and the clock is ticking.