"IDNs Now...for Windows. Verisign Global Registry Services announced the release of new software products this morning intended to act as "an accelerator for resolution of internationalized domain names." The software, available only for Windows Operating Systems, is available for download at idnnow.com. P.S. How, exactly, is this different from new.net?" [icann.Blog]
There is a big difference, in my mind at least. I picked this up in a separate conversation last month. The nut of the issue relates to the difference in implementation on the server side and the roadmap for the technology.
Now, with that being said, none of this absolves VGRS for the current state of the "pilot", nor does it mean that they are doing the "right" thing. Standards take time. Pre-spec beta initiatives attempted before the standard is ratified are always high-risk, especially when it means coordinating the behavior of millions of clients, millions of servers and an infrastructure as important as the DNS. One has to wonder whether or not the current state of real-world IDN initiatives have helped or hindered the development and deployment of a final spec. My inclination in this case would be to drive the implementation of a final spec from a political and engineering perspective given that the economic returns outweigh the value of "owning the standard".
Long term vs. short term horizons perhaps...