ICANN delays naming .org successor

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) won't announce the new official operator of the .org domain until at least next week, further delaying the process of picking a successor to domain name registrar VeriSign. VeriSign is slated to relinquish the domain as part of a deal that allows it to keep operating the lucrative .com addresses.

ICANN, the organization that oversees the administration of domain names and numbers, had tentatively suggested turning over the domain to the nonprofit, Virginia-based Internet Society (ISOC), a plan that's received criticism from rival applicants and ICANN watchers who say the deal smacks of insider favoritism. Some ICANN officials have close ties to ISOC. ICANN said it's delaying the .org announcement until next week to examine supplemental submissions from some applicants.