CNNIC will assume the exclusive role of open-source RESTful WHOIS development program after the cooperative agreement between ICANN and CNNIC taking effect in 26th Oct, 2012. The open-source RESTful WHOIS software as the fruit of the program will become the basic important software in the global domain name industry. Assuming the program marks the upgrade of CNNIC technical capability in domain name field.

In this May, ICANN began to invite tenders in the global scope to assume the open-source RESTful WHOIS program so as to implement the open-source RESTful WHOIS in accordance with the IETF standards, thus the issues of insufficient support from the current WHOIS to the internationalization and security certificate could be solved well. ICANN received ten applications in total from the world. Going through the assessment of application in detail and the tel-conference defense, CNNIC got the highest evaluation from the panel experts, thus successfully won the bid.

CNNIC always devoted itself to the R&D of WHOIS technology and standards. In 2012, the high-performance WHOIS server developed by CNNIC improved the response time of WHOIS service to a higher rate. Meanwhile, CNNIC cooperated with the international organs as ICANN, Verisign to establish WEIRDS WG to draw up the open-source RESTful WHOIS standards. At present, CNNIC is involved in the formulation work of two core standards of WG. 

The successful bid of CNNIC embodies the willingness and capability of CNNIC to contribute to the global Internet field, the determination to commit itself to the public welfare and service regulation pioneer, as well as the positive significance to strengthen the influence of CNNIC among the International Internet communities.