/ Company History
The history of nic.at
In 1988, the internet was still in its early stages. The first transatlantic fiber optic cable had just connected Europe to the American continent, and the first e-mails were being exchanged. During this pivotal time, a group of scientists registered Austria’s internet domain extension, .at, at the University of Vienna. Leading the initiative was Dr. Peter Rastl, then head of the University’s Central Computing Services (ZID), who is now regarded as the "father" of the internet in Austria. On January 20, 1988, in response to the request to register .at in the Domain Name System (DNS), internet pioneer Jon Postel from the U.S. replied simply: "Done." This moment marked the birth of Austria's domain extension.
.at – A Story of Success from the Beginning
What started as a simple task of managing a handful of computers and their internet addresses quickly grew into a complex undertaking. Today, nic.at serves as the backbone of the .at domain, overseeing more than 1.4 million registered .at domains as of 2024. As the number of registrations increased, it became clear that this growing responsibility needed to be managed within a formal organizational structure. In response, the "nic.at Internet Verwaltungs- und Betriebsgesellschaft m.b.H." was established in mid-1998 by ISPA (the Association of Austrian Internet Providers), which remained its owner until the end of 2000.
Professionalization Through Ownership Restructuring
As a voluntary association, ISPA quickly reached the limits of what it could manage. Proper domain administration required greater resources and professional management than could be provided by an association's board on a voluntary basis. Recognizing the need for a sustainable solution, the ISPA board decided to restructure ownership to enable nic.at to serve as a long-term, professional partner for Austria's internet community (the Local Internet Community, or LIC).
The chosen solution was to transfer 100% ownership of nic.at Internet Verwaltungs- und Betriebsgesellschaft m.b.H. to the Internet Foundation (IPA – Internet Privatstiftung Austria). This structure aligns with models used in several EU countries, including the Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden.
A central role is taken by the Domain Name Council, which is an advisory board within the Internet Foundation that decides upon basic issues of the domain name delegation policy. It is made up of national and international experts, as well as representatives from internet and service providers.
Expanding Responsibilities and Services
From the very start, the demand for .at domains was high. By the end of 2000, around 160,000 domain names were registered—a number that has grown to over 1.4 million as of October 2024. As technical and security requirements increased alongside this growth, nic.at established specialized departments, including Research & Development, Information Security Management (ISM), Operations, and IT. These teams ensure the highest possible service availability for both internal and external stakeholders. The technical operation of the .at zone remains under the management of the Central Computing Services (ZID) at the University of Vienna.
Simultaneously, the demands of domain management have evolved. Key areas such as Registrar Support, Customer Service, Billing and Accounting, Legal, and Marketing have been gradually taken over by nic.at's dedicated departments and continuously enhanced over the years.
Company Name Changes
The company name has also undergone changes over time. From 1998 to 2012, the official name of nic.at was "nic.at Internet Verwaltungs- und Betriebsgesellschaft m.b.H." In 2012 the name was changed to "nic.at GmbH."
Stopline Reporting Center Launched
With the rapid expansion of the internet, its darker sides quickly emerged. In 1998, images of child sexual abuse were discovered on a server of an Austrian hosting provider. This incident served as the catalyst for the creation of Stopline, an online reporting center for people who encounter depictions of sexual abuse involving minors or evidence of endorsement of National Socialist ideology on the internet. Stopline’s overarching goal is to bring about their rapid removal from the internet
with a minimum of bureaucracy, above all if they are hosted in Austria.
Ongoing expansion of fields of expertise: Foundation of ipcom, tldbox and CERT.at
Founded in 2005, ipcom GmbH is a sister company of Austria's domain registry, nic.at. Initially, its focus was on telephony and Voice over IP products, along with DNS services for top-level domain registries. In recent years, the company has shifted its specialization entirely to Anycast services for TLDs, internet service providers, and businesses through its flagship product, RcodeZero DNS, developed by nic.at's technical team.
CERT.at – Austria’s Cybersecurity Hub Since 2008
A major advancement in cybersecurity was the founding of the "Computer Emergency Response Team Austria (CERT.at)." Established in 2008, this subsidiary serves as Austria's national contact point and an international information hub for cybersecurity. CERT.at shares warnings, attack indicators, tips, and practical advice to those in need and provides hands-on support during critical incidents. Learn more about CERT.at and its extensive range of services.
Foundation tldbox GmbH
tldbox GmbH, another sister company of nic.at, was established in 2011 to provide registry services for top-level domain applicants and operators. The company specializes in delivering the technical infrastructure required for the registration and management of domains. Today, tldbox GmbH manages backend services for several generic top-level domains, including .berlin, .hamburg, and .versicherung.