The year 2016 has barely begun and it's already been a big year for Gandi. First and foremost, we've just completed an integration of Let's Encrypt to our Simple Hosting and Gandi Server platforms and launched LiveDNS in bêta, we are adding FreeBSD to our supported images on Gandi Server, planning PHP update on Simple Hosting and launching very popular new TLDs.
1.Gandi Integrates Let's Encrypt
The biggest news out of Gandi this month has to be the announcement of our financial support for Let's Encrypt and our subsequent technical integration of our Simple Hosting and Gandi Server platforms with Let's Encrypt certificates.
www.gandi.net/news/en/2016-01-12/6677-free_tlsssl_certificates_with_lets_encrypt_and_gandi/
2. Hosting: New policy on system images
«Jack of all trades, master of none,» has never been a slogan we subscribed to. But we do recognize the need to focus our energies on making what we do well as perfect as possible, and yes, sometimes that means letting other things go. It's in that spirit that we are, as of 16 January 2016, reducing the number of available systems on our cloud
infrastructure hosting platform. Read more here:
www.gandi.net/news/en/2015-12-23/6473-introducing_freebsd_and_trimming_down_the_official_image_list
3. PHP update coming on Simple Hosting
Love it or hate it, PHP is the backbone of a lot of sites online, including popular CMSs like Wordpress, and it's by far the most popular language choice for a Gandi Simple Hosting instance, which currently uses PHP 5.4.45. The good news this month is that by the end of January we expect to be pushing version 5.6 on new Simple Hosting instances. No interruption in service will occur this time around since the change will only be applicable to new Simple Hosting instances. For those who currently have Simple Hosting instances using PHP 5.4.45, we're still working on an update procedure that will minimize the impact on your up-time. We'll keep you posted as we make further progress on that part.
For now, though, once this update is installed, new instances will have PHP 5.6 available, good news to a growing portion of current and potential Simple Hosting users.
4. Introducing Packet Journey
We also just introduced a new project allowing network operators to mount easy-to-configure, scalable software routers. Based on DPDK drivers and libraries and utilises functionalities which are native to the Linux kernel, forming a bridge between fast-forwarding and flexible software routing, it's called Packet Journey, and you can check out the GitHub page here:
github.com/Gandi/packet-journey
5. Live DNS now in beta
We are really excited about this one. We are currently beta testing our new DNS service, LiveDNS. This represents a significant development from our previous (current) DNS service. We completely overhauled the backend and the new service has its own set of nameservers that we update immediately upon any change you make. LiveDNS offers powerful features to manage DNS Zone templates that you can then integrate into your workflow, such as: bulk record management, association with multiple domains, versioning and rollback.
www.gandi.net/news/en/2015-12-29/6536-livedns_beta_first_glimpse_into_our_new_dns_platform/
6. Reminder: .uk prices going up
It's won't be for a while yet, but we wanted to give you a fair warning about this upcoming price increase on .uk domains (including .co.uk, .org.uk and .me.uk). On 1 March, prices for these domains will be changing in all currencies. For the details, we suggest navigating to this page:
www.gandi.net/news/en/2016-01-06/6644-price_increase_on_.uk_domains_march_1st/
But overall we want you to know that if you own a .uk domain—or want to—now is the time to register or renew it, before the price increase in March.
7. New TLD Release Calendar
Saturday 9 January:
.feedback (Landrush)
Monday 11 January:
.swiss (GoLive)
Sunday 17 January:
.family (Landrush)
Monday 18 January:
.feedback (GoLive)
Tuesday 19 January:
.corsica (GoLive)
.pet (Sunrise)
Wednesday 20 January:
.auto (GoLive)
.car (GoLive)
.cars (GoLive)
.family (GoLive)
Sunday 24 January:
.vin (Landrush)
.wine (Landrush)
Monday 25 January:
.cloud (Landrush)
Tuesday 26 January:
.protection (Landrush)
.security (Landrush)
.theatre (Landrush)
Wednesday 27 January:
.protection (Landrush)
.security (Landrush)
.theatre (Landrush)
.vin (Landrush)
.wine (Landrush)
.ist (Sunrise)
.istanbul (Sunrise)
8. Promo Roundup
Half-price for a half-year means .in domains are on sale for €6.25 until 30 June 2016:
www.gandi.net/news/en/2016-01-01/6545-half_price_half_the_year_on_.in/
A virtual explosion of colorful (and more) extensions are 50% off from now until 30 June:
www.gandi.net/news/en/2016-01-01/6464-a_colorful_explosion_of_extensions_50_until_june_30/
You and .me can spend 2016 together with 40%-off one-year registrations all year, that's just €9.60:
www.gandi.net/news/en/2016-01-04/6614-spend_2016_with_.me_40_off_all_year/
From 1 January 2016 until 31 March 2016, .asia is on sale for just €5.40
per year—that's 70% off:
www.gandi.net/news/en/2016-01-01/6542-start_the_new_year_with_70_off_.asia/
Attention designers! From 1 January until 15 February, .design domains
are 50% off:
www.gandi.net/news/en/2016-01-01/6458-half-off_on_.design_domains_until_february_15/
One-third off the TLDs for the Channel Islands of Jersey and Guernsey:
.je and .gg this January:
www.gandi.net/news/en/2016-01-01/6461-one_third_off_.je_.gg_domains_this_january/
Link yourself in with a .link domain, on sale this January for 80%-off:
www.gandi.net/news/en/2016-01-01/6452-find_the_missing_.link_at_80-off_this_january/
Got photos? Like photos? Take photos? Get a .photo domain for 80% off
this January:
www.gandi.net/news/en/2016-01-01/6455-take_a_.photo_this_january_for_80_off/
Explore .space this month (until 31 January 2016) when domains in this
extension go on sale for just €1.89 per year:
www.gandi.net/news/en/2016-01-01/6539-enter_the_.space_age_this_month_with_80_off/
From 11 January through 31 March, .rocks and .social are half price:
www.gandi.net/news/en/2016-01-11/6575-half-off_.rocks_.social_now_until_march_31/
And still…
Short for Cameroon (and with the imagination a few other things), .cm is
on sale for €15.00 until 31 January:
www.gandi.net/news/en/2015-11-01/5936-promotion_for_.cm_until_the_end_of_january/
EXTENDED: .irish is on sale until 29 February for €14.00:
www.gandi.net/news/en/2015-10-05/5780-.irish_are_on_sale_this_fall_extended/
50-75% off a delightful selection of TLDs from Minds + Machines Registry
until 31 January 2016:
www.gandi.net/news/en/2015-12-20/4889-our_pairing_guide_for_50-75_off_domains_until_the_end_of_the_year/
.online is on sale for 80%-off for domain creations from 15 December
through 14 January:
www.gandi.net/news/en/2015-12-14/6359-a_promo_on_.online_to_bring_it_together/
Don't forget you can find all our current promotions on:
www.gandi.net/news/tag/en/promos_tld
And if you want to drop us a line, you can reach us at:
Twitter
twitter.com/gandibar
Facebook
www.facebook.com/gandibar
Google+
plus.google.com/u/0/+GandiN...
and on the #gandi channel on Freenode. \o/
All the best, The Gandi Team
