Monash Uni first to get own domain name MELBOURNE'S Monash University has become the first "brand" in the world to secure its own top-level domain (TLD) on the internet. The global governing body for domain names, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), has been evaluating new TLDs, which are joining the likes of .com, .net and .au on the internet. New TLDs that have already been given the go-ahead to go "live" on the internet include domains in non-Roman script, such as Arabic and Chinese, and generic domains such as .menu. Australian firm ARI Registry Services is the technology provider for some of the new TLDs. ARI Registry Services chief executive Adrian Kinderis said .monash had outpaced the likes of Google, Amazon, Apple and 600 other major brands around the world to have its custom domain suffix added to the internet. "Monash University were the very first '.brand name' that's been released in the new top-level domain program," Mr Kinderis told AAP. Other new Australian TLDs such as .afl, .iinet, .auspost, .melbourne and .sydney are expected to follow in the coming months. Mr Kinderis said the .brand name TLDs would be mainly used as a marketing tool to support the brand's digital strategy. "It gives complete control of the name space," Mr Kinderis said. Largely, what it's about is creating a source of truth on the internet, saying to the world if you want to find anything about Monash University, for example, it must end in .monash. Monash University chief information officer Dr Ian Tebbett said the university was committed to embracing new technology and expanding in overseas education and research activities. "The .monash global top-level domain name will allow the university to manage all of its domain names under the global identity of Monash," he said in a statement. Dr Tebbett said two .monash websites were expected to go live soon. The university will gradually phase .monash into its digital communications but will continue its current online presence of monash.edu.