It was the period when the base servers for the .am domain were being created. Armenia was going through an extremely difficult economic, political and technological situation. Everything was a challenge from frequent power outages to the lack of international payment systems. It was exactly at that time, in 1994, when I was only 15 years old, that I had the opportunity and the good fortune to meet and work with them,” recalls Edgar Danielyan, former technical administrator of AMNIC, reflecting on the early days of the Internet’s arrival in Armenia and the establishment of the .am domain.
The teenager’s key role in such an important and responsible initiative was made possible by his exceptional abilities and deep interest in technology qualities that also impressed and surprised international partners.
The story of the Internet’s introduction to Armenia and the development of the .am domain is captured through notable episodes shared by key contributors in the film “Our Space on the Internet” and the magazine of the same name. Both were produced to mark the 30th anniversary of the Internet Society NGO, the organization that manages the .am domain.
Reflecting on those years, Edgar Danielyan says:
“I often look back and deeply appreciate those difficult but highly productive times. More than 25 years later, I remember my colleagues with warmth and friendship. I have been living abroad for over 20 years now.
The challenges were so numerous that it is hard even to list them today. Yet they were overcome through determination, creativity, sometimes luck and of course with the support of various local and international organizations and friends.
I was fortunate to have both the skills and the opportunity to be in the right place at the right time.
I consider the work we did to launch the .am domain one of the greatest achievements of my life. These were difficult times and it seemed that Armenia did not yet need it, because the Internet either did not exist or was extremely limited. Even in the Ministry of Communications there were few people who understood its importance.
What truly mattered, however, was that there were people in our country who could see the future. At Arminco we carried out significant work to make that vision a reality.
A national domain name is one of the symbols of sovereignty and statehood in the modern world. It is essential for Armenia to protect and strengthen its statehood and the national domain name is part of its technological foundation.
Without a doubt, the Internet and particularly Armenia’s national domain name will continue to grow in importance. Armenia must become a high-tech country in order to thrive.”
You can read more about the history of the Internet’s arrival in Armenia and the activities of the Internet Society NGO in the publication “From Offline Mail to the .am Domain: The Arrival of the Internet in Armenia – Recalled by Kolya Hovhannisyan.”
