Domain registration made simpler
Domain reservation or registration process starts with the end customer or registrant making an order to a registrar or reseller of a registrar, who checks with the registry operator if that domain name is available.
If it’s available, a WHOIS record with the registrant information is created at the registry operator database.
Source: ICANN
Registrant – customer end user – owner of WHOIS information registered under the domain or essentially the domain owner.
Registrars – ICANN accredited organizations that process the registration of domain name as submitted by end user customer (registrants), or by registrar’s resellers. There are like 1000 registered and accredited registrars.
Registry operators – an organization charged with responsibility of keeping an authoritative master database registry of all domain names registered for each top level domain, such organizations include VeriSign for .com,.net,.cc, .tv Aruba cloud for .cloud among others
ICANN – non profit organization charged with domain name system management globally. Ideally control anything about domain name including accrediting domain registrars, resolving domain name disputes, play major role in selection of registry operators, among others.
Resellers- usually register domain name on behalf of registrants at the registrar’s system but usually have no contractual agreement with ICANN.
Most webhosting companies in Kenya are resellers for Top Level Domain –that they lack a contractual agreement with ICANN. However, most of these we web hosting and domain registration companies are KENIC accredited registrar to register .KE Domain Name