Mapping of telephone numbers to domain names using a Domain Name System (DNS)-based architecture to facilitate services like voice over IP moved a step closer Monday with the launch of a local Enum trial.

Electronic Telephone Numbers Mapping, or Enum, can be used to map a single number to a subscriber"s record including telephone numbers, SIP addresses, e-mail addresses, or fax numbers. The owner of the Enum record would be able to decide how they would like to be contacted, or they may allow a caller to view all their contact details and decide for themselves.

The newly awarded registry services provider for the Australian Enum trial, AusRegistry International Pty Ltd., officially launched the Enum trial thus allowing for the provision and use of Enum numbers in Australia.

"The trial is officially in a "go live" status", AusRegistry International general manager, Adrian Kinderis, said. "We believe this technology has significant potential and look forward to working with the Australian Communications Authority (ACA) and Registrars to ensure that the trial objectives are met and the Enum trial is a success."

The ACA announced early last month that it had chosen AusRegistry International to provide and operate the Registry service for the trial.

AusRegistry is responsible for the provisioning of Enum numbers, and will manage the name servers that allow the Enum numbers to become active on the Internet.

"While we are very proud to be running the registry, we really are in the background as far as the trial goes", Kinderis said. "If we are doing our job properly you shouldn"t hear anything about us, much like our role within the .au name space [managed by parent company AusRegistry]. We anticipate the excitement will be at the registrar and application development level."

Registrars, once accredited, are able to connect directly to the registry and can either offer Enum numbers to prospective application developers or may become application developers themselves.

"The success of the trial will depend largely upon who comes and plays," Kinderis said, "We have one fully accredited Registrar (Instra Corporation) and two provisionally accredited Registrars (Enetica Pty Ltd and AARNet) each of which is incredibly excited at being involved in the trial."

During the year-long trial, the ACA will investigate various issues such as privacy, security and regulation to determine the trial"s viability and long-term future.

Organizations looking to get involved in the trial should visit the official Web site for the trial at www.enum.com.au