Berend van Dalfzen is new RA Chair

Martijn, how do you look back on your five-year term as RA Chair?

Martijn: "A lot has changed in that time, including the RA. We used to be a reactive organisation, in our relations with SIDN and more generally. Now we take a much more proactive line. As a result, SIDN involves us at an earlier stage. For example, SIDN's Marketing Department will bring us in as soon as they start planning an initiative. That means we have more scope for influencing the planning process with advice and suggestions. At the start of my tenure, I set myself the goal of progressing the contentious issues, the ones that SIDN and the RA disagreed on. That proved to be a challenge for both sides. And I think both sides have learnt a lot by taking on that challenge. SIDN is now more transparent in its communications, and tentative progress has been made towards a structural solution."

What are you most proud of?

Martijn: "Despite the ups and downs in our relationship, we've organised several projects together that have made a real contribution to the quality of the .nl domain. Projects that have benefitted SIDN and the registrars. We improved the Registrar Scorecard (the incentive scheme for registrars) for example. The RSC has been used to promote the adoption of internet standards and the active use of domain names. We've also developed the Hosting Infrascan. So .nl registrars and hosting firms can now have their technical infrastructures checked over for security flaws at a very low price. I also take pride in the way the RA has evolved during my time in the chair. The Association is now very different, in terms of both its stance and its profile within the registrar community. We've got a new website, our newsletters are well received, and we're in closer contact with our members via social media and our new portal."

What hasn't gone so well?

Martijn: "There are a few things that SIDN and the RA still don't see eye-to-eye on. We've had a lot of discussions on topics where we sometimes have opposing viewpoints. While unfortunately we haven't managed to reach agreement, I think there's more mutual understanding. Another regrettable aspect is that, in order to balance the books, the RA has had to wind up its Legal Committee and reduce its Director's working hours."

How has the RA changed, and what are your hopes for the future?

Martijn: "While we remain an exclusive discussion partner for SIDN, we're also looking at ways of increasing the value we deliver to our members. I think that Berend will continue with that, and I have every confidence that he'll be a successful Chair." Berend: "Yes, I will certainly be looking to build on what Martijn has achieved. The relationship with SIDN remains the starting point in my eyes. However, we also want to build ties with other registries in the Netherlands and beyond, and be of more service to our members. Ideas we'll be looking at include knowledge exchange in the field of cybersecurity and collaboration with insurers and training institutes. The key thing is that everything we do has to be useful to registrars. The role of a trade association is to serve its members, not to get involved in activities that compete with our members' services."

Berend, why did you put yourself forward to become the RA's new Chair?

Berend: "Many people now depend on the internet and the .nl domain. The role that SIDN and the .nl registrars play in ensuring the availability and security of the .nl domain is therefore very important. In that context, the RA speaks for the registrars and represents their interests. On issues such as security threats, malicious webshops and phishing, it's vital that we work together. I want to facilitate that. The RA and SIDN now have a good, critical relationship. That provides a basis for looking ahead and identifying ways of achieving more together. I'm invigorated by the prospect of using my new position to take on that task."

What are the biggest challenges ahead?

Berend: "We mustn't underestimate the significance and contribution of smaller registrars. They play an important role in the use of the .nl domain. Improving our insight and understanding of the issues they face and the things that matter to them is one of the challenges I look forward to addressing in the years ahead. We need to work with SIDN to identify the different 'blood groups' in the registrar community (hosting, corporates, wholesale, web developers, trademark agencies, etc) and establish how we can support each of them. There's also a group of firms that used to be registrars, but have become resellers, meaning that they are no longer directly affiliated to SIDN. Yet resellers are responsible for a lot of the marketing and positioning of the .nl domain. So we want to work with our registrars to find ways of supporting resellers as well."

In your ideal world, how would SIDN and the RA work together?

Berend: "There was a period when synergy between SIDN and the RA dipped. Fortunately, under Martijn's stewardship, a lot has been done to build the synergy up again. I want to continue that. We don't always agree, but that's not such a bad thing. It's important to focus on what binds us together. From my perspective, SIDN is increasingly open about how it uses its resources and to what end. I hope we can build on that, because I believe transparency enables you to see what you have in common. If we continue down that road, relations between SIDN and the RA can only improve."

What do you hope to achieve in the next four years?

Berend: "As well as strengthening the RA's relationship with SIDN and building up the Association's profile and role, I hope we can strengthen relations with our members. I'd like to see us meeting more often to discuss issues that matter to us all – at the Day of the Domain Name, for example. Hopefully the RA can also forge ties with other trade associations. Many of our members belong to multiple associations. I believe that collaboration between data centres, infrastructure operators and domain names service providers can help to make the internet stronger. I hope to put that collaboration on a sound footing in the years ahead."