02.02.2022

More than 500,000 new names mark the annual growth of .it-branded domains, with an increase of 2.24% in new registrations and totalling 3,450,337 Italian Internet names by 31 December 2021. This is a very important milestone that underlines the importance of Internet presence as a digital identity, Made in Italy and economic revival, considering the Internet as the parallel dimension that has allowed the country to build, work and invest on the Internet, despite the pandemic and the resulting economic crisis.

Therefore, the Web turned up to be an alternative to lockdowns, bankruptcies and the crisis in 2020, but, on the contrary, 2021, it proved to be symbol of awareness and resilience. This thesis has been confirmed by the growth of new names in March last year, with a monthly record of registrations (+60,537), coinciding with the third wave of Coronavirus infections in Italy and the new consequent restrictions.

In addition to the resistance of many, a significant fact characterises this period of economic crisis: between January and October 2021 there was an inevitable drop in the number of names assigned to companies (-6.3%) and freelancers (-18.7%), while the number of sites assigned to individuals increased (+12.3%). A marked reversal of protagonists and an inevitable drop in companies and individuals with VAT numbers, which seem to be a snapshot of Italy at this very delicate moment. Nevertheless, the economic and 'historical' crises shall teach us lessons and push for recovery and point to the opportunities launched by the Italian Government through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), which will give new life and new economic support to Italian businesses. If 2021 was therefore the year of resilience, 2022 promises to be the year of rebirth, for an increasingly digital country, ready to seize all the opportunities of digital transformation.