London, UK – February 15, 2008 – CentralNic Ltd, a leading provider of registry services for ccTLD, gTLD and private domain name registries, today announced the establishment of a partnership with Community DNS Ltd, operators of a next generation DNS resolution service.

The deal will see Community DNS provide DNS services for CentralNic's domain registry system, utilizing Community DNS's revolutionary technology that brings an unmatched combination of robustness, stability, performance and security to top level domain registries and other DNS operators throughout the world at a cost that is affordable to all.

Gavin Brown, Chief Technology Officer for CentralNic, said “CentralNic is proud to boast a 100% uptime record for its DNS service in the 13 years that we have been operating our domain registry, and this partnership ensures that this record will continue into the future.” He added, “there are plenty of other players in the marketplace but I was impressed with the technical sophistication of the Community DNS platform, and with the responsiveness and enthusiasm of their team.”

“We are delighted that CentralNic has selected the Community DNS anycast resolution platform to supplement and bolster its outstanding registry infrastructure”, said Bart Mackay, Vice President for Business Development for Community DNS Ltd. “Historically, CentralNic has established itself as an innovator in the registry services industry, bringing fresh marketing strategies as well as an outstanding technical infrastructure to customers and end users throughout the world. We are thrilled that the Community DNS anycast platform provides the outstanding tools, security and performance that they have been looking for.”

About CentralNic: Founded in 1995, CentralNic provides innovative registry services for ccTLD, gTLD, and private domain name registries. Based in London, Nevada and Los Angeles, CentralNic operates the authoritative registry system for all domain names ending in .uk.com, .us.com, .eu.com and 17 other country-specific domains, and the .LA TLD for Los Angeles. For more information visit www.centralnic.com.

About Community DNS: Community DNS has provided software and technology systems innovations since 1994, as a pioneer of registry and registrar systems for the DNS and sophisticated database and communication management systems used throughout the world by private and governmental organizations. Based in the UK, with offices in Japan and the USA, Community DNS has a staff of over 100 skilled programmers, and trained customer service representatives ready to assist registry customers on a 24/7 basis. For more information visit www.communitydns.eu.

For CentralNic:

US Contact:

Joe Alagna ()
Phone: +1 (909) 606 9175

UK Contact:

Jenny White ()
Phone: +44 (0)8700 170 900

For Community DNS:

US Contact:

Bart Mackay ()
Phone: +1 (801) 802-8602

UK Contact:

Paul Kane ()
Phone: +44 (1) 202 420 710

July 13, 2007: CentralNic has introduced an updated version of its Terms And Conditions Of a Domain Name Service, which governs the provision of domain names to registrants and registrars.

The purpose of these changes are to clarify certains details relating to the .LA TLD, including the requirement for registrants and registrars to provide accurate contact information to the registry.

These new terms and conditions take immediate effect.

For full details, please consult the Terms and Conditions page on the CentralNic website. You can download a PDF version of the terms here.

If you require further information, or have a question or feedback regarding these changes, please contact us by e-mail or telephone.

Gavin Brown is CentralNic's Chief Technology Officer. Originally published on CircleID.

The fallout from the failure of RegisterFly has been largely addressed as an issue of regulation and enforcement. ICANN needs to enable registrants to transfer their domain names away from RegisterFly, or to "bulk transfer" all of RegisterFly's sponsored domain names to another registrar. However, RegisterFly has control of all the customer data so it's impossible to match registrant to domain name, in order to release the all-important AuthInfo code.

The Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA) requires that registrars place this customer data into an escrow system with ICANN, so that in the event of a business failure at a registrar, ICANN can distribute AuthInfo codes to registrants as required. Therein lies the problem: ICANN has not historically enforced the escrow obligation, and in any case, if a company has failed, who exactly is going to take responsibility for updating the escrowed data? It seems to me that the problems that have arisen as a result of RegisterFly's collapse has as much to do with the design of the "shared registry system" for the .COM and .NET TLDs than they do with ICANN's failure to enforce the RAA.

I realised that many of RegisterFly's customers have had no trouble getting their domain names transferred out. Those customers who have registered domains under .ORG, .INFO or any of the other gTLDs, or under most ccTLDs, are able to transfer their domains out of RegisterFly's control with no problems. Why? Because most of those TLDs are run as thick registries, whereas .COM and .NET are thin.

What's the difference? Simply put, in a thin registry, the contact details for a domain registration (namely the registrant, admin, technical and billing contacts) are stored at the registrar, and the registry's whois server only shows basic domain information, and provides a referral to the "registrar whois" which then shows the relevant contact data. Conversely, in a thick registry system, the contact details are stored at the registry level, and are shown in the "registry whois". There is no "registrar whois".

The use of the thin model for .COM and .NET places an additional (and in my opinion) unnecessary layer of complexity to the system - not only does it impose upon registrars the requirement to operate and manage a whois system, but it also increases the effects of a registrar failure on registrants.

As we have seen with RegisterFly, when a registrar fails, the only protection that registrants have is a legal contract between ICANN and the registrar that the registrar will place customer data in escrow. This is essentially a legal solution to a database design flaw. As we have seen, it isn't even that good a solution since a legally binding contract with a failed business is no more valuable than the paper it's written on.

However, with a thick registry, if a registrar business fails, all the data required to facilitate the transfer of domain names is already available to the registry operator, and so the failing registrar's compliance is not required.

We have seen that thick registries can scale perfectly well: .ORG and .INFO, both operated by Afilias, are run on the same thick registry platform which holds over 9 million registrations. Registrars retain the same degree of control over the customer data they collect: the registry acts as a repository for data managed by the registrars. Moving .COM and .NET to the thick registry model would eliminate the need for registrar data escrow and provide greater security for registrants when registrars fail. It would also simplify the shared registry system by employing the same model across all gTLDs, reducing the potential for confusion on the part of Internet users.

CHICAGO, IL, JUNE 2, 2006 - CentralNic's new operation PersonalNetNames were delighted to sponsor the 2006 GeoDomain Expo, presented by Associated Cities in Chicago - the most important gathering to date of the owners of more than 85 major U.S. city and destination sites including Chicago.com, NewYorkCity.com, LosAngeles.com and many more.

The new PersonalNetNames program allows registrants of quality domains to open their own sub-domain sales shop within days, allowing them to earn money on the sales of their sub-domains. The PersonalNetNames.com portal will offer all sub-domains entering into the progam, and has plans to become a central market for this upcoming Internet product.

For further details of those who attended:

http://www.associatedcities.com/conferences.php?tag=2006geodomainexpo

We have recently updated the Terms and Conditions of our domain name service. These revisions are intended to clarify our policy regarding security issues such as phishing, and to simplify our policies for the benefit of all our registrars.

The full text of the new Terms and Conditions is available here. Registrars who have a copy of these terms on their website are requested to update their site as soon as possible.

The changes introduced are as follows:

• support for registration periods greater than two years has been made explicit (clause 5)
• we no longer require a new registration fee for Registrant transfers (this does not affect outstanding registrant transfers) (clause 13, now removed)
• in addition to the original conditions, we now reserve the right to delete domain names (new clause 13):
  1. if CentralNic believes that the domain name was registered for use in a "phishing" attack or other illegal activity of any kind.
  2. if inaccurate or false contact details are provided.
• Further to the first new condition, CentralNic has instituted a new policy regarding suspected "phishing" domain names:
  1. if we have a reasonable suspicion that a domain name registered at CentralNic is being used in a phishing attack, or otherwise being used for other illegal activities, we will place the domain name "On Hold" and under a Registry Lock.
  2. we will then notify the current Billing Contact (ie registrar/reseller) for the domain name. If the Billing Contact can provide confirmation that the domain name was registered in "good faith" by the registrant, then CentralNic will immediately unlock the domain name and place it on the "Live" status.
  3. if no confirmation is received, or the Billing Contact agrees that the domain name was registered in "bad faith", the domain name will be placed onto "Pending Deletion", and will be fully deleted from the database after 45 days.

If you have any comments or questions regarding these changes, we will be happy to receive them. Please get in touch via our contact page.

LONDON, UK - APRIL 4, 2006 - CentralNic is pleased to announce the addition of two new second-level domain names to its portfolio: .KR.COM (for Korea) and .AE.ORG (for the United Arab Emirates).

"The launch of these two domain names continues CentralNic's vision of creating a viable expansion of the DNS space at the second level," said Gavin Brown, CentralNic's Chief Technology Officer. "We're looking forward to continuing to expand our business into the Middle East and Far East with these two offerings. Alongside .CN.COM and .JPN.COM, we have a pretty good presence in an important market."

Internet users can register .KR.COM and .AE.ORG domain names via one of CentralNic's 1,250 accredited registrars (including 26 ICANN-accredited registrars), or via CentralNic's website.

CentralNic also reported a healthy increase in the registration of .EU.COM domain names in parallel with the recent launch of the .EU TLD. "Many of our registrars have taken the opportunity to market .EU.COM alongside .EU, and have done very well," said Jenny White, CentralNic's Registrar Accounts Manager. "We saw a big spike in .EU.COM registrations after the start of the .EU sunrise."

About CentralNic

Founded in 1995, CentralNic is a global domain name registry helping Internet users establish new and distinctive domain names with regional and country-specific identities. CentralNic's portfolio of 20 domain names includes EU.COM (Europe), UK.COM (United Kingdom), and US.COM, (United States). Their site may be reached at www.centralnic.com.

Contact (London): Gavin Brown, , phone: +44 (0) 870 017 0900.

Contact (US): Joe Alagna, , phone: +1 (909) 606 9175.

Cambridge, MA and London, UK - Sedo.com, the leading domain marketplace just announced a strategic partnership with CentralNic, the global registry for domain names with regional and country-specific identities such as .uk.com, .eu.com and .us.com.

Gavin Brown, CentralNic's Chief Technology Officer, said "Sedo has been at the forefront of promoting CentralNic domain names in the aftermarket sector. Last year Sedo brokered the largest ever sale for a CentralNic domain name and we're sure that they'll soon break their own record. We're looking forward to a long and successful relationship."

This integration will allow CentralNic users to acquire the registered domain they are looking for, by either following a link to the offer page at Sedo where the domain is for sale, or by using Sedo's domain brokerage service where one of Sedo's experienced domain brokers will work to acquire the domain for them.

Both parties are equally excited about the prospects this partnership brings. "CentralNic has proven they're an industry vanguard, perfectly suited to reap commission revenues from integrating Sedo's database of aftermarket premium domains. Beyond additional commission revenues, according to internal statistical data, partnering with Sedo should provide CentralNic with a significant incidental boost in already-strong domain renewals," Says Jude Augusta, Sedo's Director of Partner Development.

About Sedo

Sedo, an acronym for "Search Engine for Domain Offers," is the leading online marketplace for buying and selling domain names and websites. Headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., Sedo has assembled the world's largest database of domain names for sale, with more than two million listings. Buyers and sellers are brought together through a searchable online marketplace, and conduct negotiations anonymously using an offer-counteroffer system. To facilitate successful transactions, Sedo has introduced a range of related services, including domain name escrow/transfer services, domain name appraisals, a domain brokerage service and paid domain name parking. The success of Sedo's model has attracted a global membership base of more than 200,000 domain professionals, and helped more than 5,000 businesses start their Web presence off on the right foot with a great new domain name. Sedo offers regional versions of its site for the UK (Sedo.co.uk), France (Sedo.fr), Germany (Sedo.de), and Spain (eSedo.com). For additional information, please visit www.sedo.com.

Press Contact:

Mike Kaplan
fama PR
617-758-4268

About CentralNic

Founded in 1995, CentralNic is a global domain name registry helping Internet users establish new and distinctive domain names with regional and country-specific identities. CentralNic's portfolio of 20 domain names includes EU.COM (Europe), UK.COM (United Kingdom), and US.COM, (United States). Their site may be reached at www.centralnic.com.

Contact-London: Daniel Schindler, Phone: +44 (0) 870 017 0900.

Contact-US: Joe Alagna, Phone: +1 (909) 606 9175

ORLANDO, FL., and LONDON, U.K., JAN. 26, 2006 -- Afternic, a recognized leader in the aftermarket domain name industry, today announced that it has begun listing domain name extensions of the global registry, CentralNic, some of which include US.COM, UK.COM, EU.COM and 17 other country-specific domains.

"The people at CentralNic have demonstrated their commitment to the domain name business and we've long admired their accomplishments. Many of our customers have been asking us to list them in our marketplace and we've listened to their requests," said Afternic President and CEO Roger Collins.

In addition, CentralNic CEO, Dan Schindler commented that his firm is seeing an increased interest in the aftermarket. "Afternic was the original exchange for domain name enthusiasts which make up a big part of the market today. The domain name aftermarket will continue to grow and we're pleased to be working with Afternic." he said.

CentralNic domains have become more popular since some of the larger registrars like eNom, Name.com, and Dotster have begun offering them. "We've recently seen registrants list and sell some of our domains for several thousand dollars." said Joe Alagna, CentralNic's U.S. Marketing Manager. "It's been a nice development that validates how consumers feel about our domains."

About CentralNic

Founded in 1995, CentralNic is a global domain name registry helping Internet users establish new and distinctive domain names with regional and country-specific identities. CentralNic's portfolio of 20 domain names includes EU.COM (Europe), UK.COM (United Kingdom), and US.COM, (United States). Their site may be reached at www.centralnic.com.

About Afternic.com

Afternic.com is a leading domain name exchange and the most recognized name in the secondary domain name industry. The company operates an extensive exchange network in which its partner domain name registrars refer buyers of aftermarket domains and earn commissions. Afternic provides a "one-stop shop" where consumers can buy secondary domains in a secure, anonymous environment. Some of the industry's leading registrars, including Register.com, eNom.com and Eurodns.com, are Afternic partners. The site may be reached at www.afternic.com.

For CentralNic:

US Contact:

E-mail Contact -
Joe Alagna
Phone: +1 (909) 606 9175

London Contact:

E-mail Contact -
Dan Schindler
Phone: +44 (0) 870 017 0900

For Afternic:

US Contact:

E-mail Contact -
Roger Collins
Phone: +1 (407) 880 3211

or

E-mail Contact -
Lynn Fireside
Phone : +1 (213) 955 0020

A number of resources are available as RSS feeds, that can be read using an RSS aggregator without requiring you to manually visit our sites to check when new information is posted.

Once you have an RSS reader set up, you can access any of the following RSS feeds from CentralNic:

• Company News
• Domain Wire
• Toolkit News
• Registrar News
• GRS Registrar News

More information about RSS, including a list of feed readers readers for various operating systems, is available at the BBC.

Gavin Brown is CentralNic's Chief Technology Officer. Originally published on CircleID.

At the December 2004 ICANN meeting in Cape Town, Vint Cerf said this to the Public Forum:

"I want to go on record as saying... that I am no longer sure that I have a strong understanding of why I would be motivated to create a new TLD... for many years we didn't create any new ones. And it wasn't because we didn't have an apparatus for doing it. It was because it wasn't clear what the rationale was for creating new TLDs. If we pick the wrong philosophical basis and we try to codify that and we end up creating so many TLDs that we actually create a problem with the domain name system, we have a problem." (Link)

Dr Cerf posed question that has yet to be answered or even discussed by the DNS stakeholder community - while the technical and business cases for the introduction of new TLDs have been successfully made, what is the philosophical case for adding new TLDs? What semantics are encoded in TLDs, and how could those semantics be expanded in a consistent way?

The Purpose of TLDs

The current stock of TLDs can be categorised into two groups:

1. TLDs that identify an entity based on geographical location: ccTLDs, .EU, and potentially .ASIA in the future
2. TLDs that identify an entity based on "type": eg, commercial (.COM), educational (.EDU), military (.MIL)

Furthermore, some ccTLD operators use subdomains to add additional semantics: .UK is divided into a range of second-level domains, including .CO.UK for commercial organisations, .AC.UK for academic organisations, .SCH.UK for schools, and .ME.UK for private individuals.

A simple pattern for generic and sponsored TLDs can be construed from looking at the TLDs currently in use: the purpose of a domain name suffix is to identify the type of organisation, and/or the geographic location of that organisation.

It is my contention that the when the DNS stakeholder community considers the introduction of new TLDs, that we should try to follow this pattern, and not break it without good reason.

Adding new TLDs

If we're to consider new TLDs for entry into the root zone, what criteria should we look for?

1. Geographic TLDs

While the ISO3166 list provides an adequate way of identifying countries, each of which get their own ccTLD, there might be other geographic identifiers that would prove useful. For example, cities and towns aren't well served by the country namespace - is LONDON.CO.UK a better choice than LONDON.COM or LONDON.ORG? London is a major international city whose reach and influence extend far beyond the UK. It may be that none of these domain name suffixes would adequately describe the Mayor's office, Tourist Board, local authority or Chamber of Commerce. Perhaps LONDON.CITY would be better.

Geographic identifiers need not be restricted to the ISO3166 list. Individual countries are not homogeneous, nor are they even strictly defined. Current developments in places like Kashmir and Northern Ireland may result in places where sovereignty is deliberately vaguely defined. The finality of the ISO3166 would let down the inhabitants of those places.

2. New Types of Entity

Most recent activity within the DNS stakeholder community has been centred on the introduction of new "generic" and "sponsored" TLDs. While most of these new TLDs do follow precedent by addressing types of entity not sufficiently addressed by the current namespaces (.BIZ, .NAME, .AERO, .PRO, .COOP), some have instead been focused on the presumed content of the websites that the domain names would be used for (.INFO, .TRAVEL, .JOBS, and perhaps .XXX sometime in the future). One proposed TLD, .MOBI, is even predicated on the type of client device that would be used to access services on hosts within that domain. This change in the semantics of top-level domains has not been met with universal approval. Tim Berners-Lee has reservations about the .MOBI proposal, arguing that adding content-based addressing rules at the DNS level breaks the most basic principles of equal and unfettered access to services and information without discrimination.

What other kinds of entity aren't yet serviced by a top-level domain? .KIDS would be a TLD that might meet our criteria, although it too has mostly been marketed on the basis of content.

It seems to me that the case for new generic top-level domains is overstated. There are very few entities that are not already serviced by the existing TLD space. But there are plenty of companies who want to make money running a registry and lots of marketing people who want to make money selling new TLDs. That said, there is also a real need to grow the namespace to meet the demands of Internet users.

Extend "Downwards", Not Expand "Outwards"?

In the Public Forum, Dr Cerf also said:

"In the architecture of the Internet, the Domain Name System was intended to be a very hierarchical structure so as to avoid extremely large bottlenecks anywhere. You always had the freedom to expand outward. So for many of the functions that one might claim a top-level domain is needed, one could argue that function could do just as well at [the] second-level... It's an almost fractal-like design."

Dr Cerf explains how DNS allows for the creation of domain names that add semantics by means of delegation. it is a concept with a strong basis in the founding principles of the DNS - it was Jon Postel who, in 1995, first suggested the idea of creating a domain registry under .UK.COM as a competitor to .CO.UK. There are a number of organisations that provide a "second-level" registry service: as well as my own, NetRegistry provides a registry service under .AU.COM and .JP.COM, and a non-profit organisation provides free .EU.ORG domain names. These domain registries extend the namespace in the same way that TLDs do, but also have the advantage of adding further semantics to the domain name.

I am (perhaps unsurprisingly) convinced that the cultivation of second-level domain name registries within the existing namespace is a Good Thing, and should be broadened to include more generic names, as we have started to do with .WEB.COM. Some input from the DNS stakeholder community, including ICANN, might provide momentum to encourage the registrants of potential "seed" domain names to start offering their own domain registry services, growing the domain name space to meet demand without the lengthy and controversial process of creating new TLDs. And past experience has shown me that when a new competing registry enters the market it often has the effect of increasing the demand for your domain names, not reducing it. Everyone wins.

London & New York - Interest in US.COM and EU.COM domain names is rising. Matt Bentley, CEO of SEDO recently reported "We've just sold a CentralNic domain, MEDICINE.US.COM, for 1,300 EUR (about $1,700 USD). This is one of the highest value sub-domain sales that we've seen. For example, JOBS.EU.COM sold for only $350 in comparison. This could be a sign of good things to come for CentralNic domains in the secondary market."

CentralNic, Ltd. runs the domain name registry for a group of short, country-specific, second-level domains like UK.COM, CN.COM, WEB.COM, etc. UK.COM is the most popular followed by EU.COM, US.COM, and WEB.COM. These domains are available through a network of resellers and several ICANN accredited registrars like eNom and Dotster.

Joe Alagna, CentralNic's North American Marketing Manager, stated "We've always taken a conservative position on the after market value of our domains, trying not to create any false hype. But deep inside, I've always felt that they would eventually spur after-market sales."

After-market sales are the fuel that gets many people excited about buying domains. News of the earliest after-market domain sales in the late 1990s is what put the domain name business on the map. Sedo.com provides the largest online secondary market for Internet domain names. Other Centralnic domains that have been sold at Sedo.com within the last year include:

• supernova.eu.com € 200 2/05
• single.de.com € 375 7/04
• inc.eu.com € 150 5/04
• lkw.de.com € 399 5/04
• restaurants.eu.com € 190 4/04
• sex.eu.com € 3,400 4/04

WWW.CENTRALNIC.COM - Founded in 2000, CentralNic is an independent global domain name registry committed to making it easier for Internet users to establish new and distinctive domain names with regional and country-specific identities. CentralNic has a portfolio of 20 domain names, including EU.COM (Europe), UK.COM (United Kingdom), & US.COM, (United States).

WWW.SEDO.COM - Sedo is a global marketplace for buying and selling domain names and websites. Their goal is to help website owners find great names for their online businesses with the world's largest database of high-quality domain names and a community of domain professionals from around the world.

April 20th, London: CentralNic is pleased to announce the availability of its new Account Manager service, available at https://www.centralnic.com/manage. This service is designed to allow non-resellers to manage their own contact details and domain names, without recourse to the traditional modification template system. This means that changes to contact details and domain names can take place instantly without waiting for manual authorisation and confirmation.

If you are listed as the Client, Technical or Billing handle for one or more domain names, you can log in to the Account Manager service and:

1. update your contact details
2. change your privacy (WHOIS records) settings
3. change your billing preferences (email or postal invoices)
4. change the DNS servers for domain names for which you are the Technical Handle

The Account Manager system requires that you know the user ID and password for your handle, but if you don't know either, you can arrange to have a new password e-mailed to the current e-mail address by clicking here.

The old template-based modification and support ticketing systems will continue to operate in parallel with the new account manager system.

Joe Alagna is CentralNic's General Manager for North America. Originally published on CircleID.

Best Use of the Third-Level Domain Name Space

The Internet was originally envisioned to be hierarchical in nature. The Domain Name System came into being out of a need for easy-to-remember network addresses. Over the years and as the Internet has become more mainstream it became evident that,

1. It was becoming more difficult to acquire those easy-to-remember network addresses (Domain Names) and
2. Users wanted more choices in domain names.

Thus began an Industry debate about how to grow the domain space. The end result was the creation of several new gTLDs (Generic Top Level Domains) like .INFO and .BIZ, and sTLDs (Sponsored Top Level Domains) like .PRO and .COOP.

Although benefits have come out of the creation of the new TLDs, a simple, obvious, important, existing solution is largely being overlooked by the domain name industry; existing third level domain spaces.

Offering Third-Level Domains is good for the Industry and Less Confusing for the Public

There are a few private registries that offer third-level domain names to the general public today:

CentralNic, Ltd. (The largest and the company that I work for) - Offers third-level domains from a network of 20 second-level domain names, most of which are country-specific, two-letter, .COM domains. Examples are "US.COM", "UK.COM", "EU.COM", "RU.COM", AND "CN.COM".

Net Registry Pty. Ltd. - Offers third-level domains from "JP.COM", and "AU.COM"

Since CentralNic offers domains through a network of registrars and resellers like eNom and Dotster, we are in the unique position of seeing first hand that end users like to buy third level domain names, but not just any third level domains:

1. They like domains that they inherently understand and relate to. No explanation is necessary to understand the meaning of "US", "UK", or "EU" to an end user. It is inherently understandable to an end user due to its ubiquity.
2. They like domain names that end with .COM. No explanation is necessary to understand what .COM means. It is inherently understandable to an end user due to its ubiquity.

The point is this... The practice of offering easy-to-understand, third-level domains to end users is good for the domain name industry, good for registrants, and good for end users (web site visitors). The practice should be encouraged by ICANN and the domain name industry in general.

Some have made this argument: "What would happen to all the registrants if the company offering third-level domains decided to sell their domain names?

This can be answered with another very simple question: "What would happen to all the e-mail users if AOL, Earthlink, or NetZero decided to sell their domain names?

Companies, regardless of their size, have a right to sell services under their domain names, whether those services are e-mail addresses or sub-domains. Thousands of ISPs sell e-mail addresses that depend on the domain name of the ISP as part of their offer. There is nothing new about this.

So What Is The Highest And Best Use Of A Domain Name Like "US.COM" Or "UK.COM"?

Would it serve more people and benefit the domain name industry if these domains were used as an easy-to-remember moniker for a single large US based insurance company?

Or does it benefit the domain name industry and the buying public if they are offered as Gtlds (Generic third-level domains - Note the lower case "t").

The answer is that these types of domain names are an invaluable resource to the domain name industry and the industry should encourage the use of them as much as possible.

What is the Best Way to Meet the Growing Demands on the Name Space?

Creating special new Sponsored TLDs may not the best course for our industry. The use and promotion of a domain as an accrediting device or to convey some status to the general public is a bad idea and creates somewhat of a domain name class jealousy where only the most connected, technically savvy, domain name registrants will end up with the most desirable new domains. The industry ends up in the same cycle of looking for ways to grow the domain space because average registrants can't find easy-to-remember domains.

For example in creating .jobs and .travel, and allowing only "accredited HR professionals" or "accredited travel agents", to register them, are we trying to say that holders of these new sTLDs are more reputable than holders of the .COM versions of the same?

This is a system that is inherently false to end users since we know that there is no real way to enforce the "quality" of a registrant. It is also unfair to holders of .COM, .NET, .ORG, and .etc. domain names.

To attempt to convey that a .job or .travel domain name holder is any more qualified or professional than the holder of another TLD domain name like .COM, .NET, or .INFO, .ORG, or .BIZ. is bad for the industry.

Ultimately, any statement of qualification for domain name holders by the industry or some trade group will be proven to be false and misleading to end users (web site visitors) since it is ultimately unenforceable. We should have already learned that from existing Sponsored TLDs that financial and market forces will ultimately create a need for loosening of the "qualifications".

The Principle of Highest and Best Use

Analogies are often made of the Domain Name Space as being virtual real estate so I'd like to quote the National Association of Realtor's definition of "Highest and Best Use":

"A determination of the highest and best use of one or more sites (either vacant or as though vacant) or properties as improved by examining the profitability of all possible use scenarios (including renovation, rehabilitation, demolition, and replacement)."

For the purpose of this argument we must face the reality that domain names have become the virtual equivalent to real estate. They have many similar properties that include traffic, desirability, and utility.

The highest and best use for many second-level domain names is to offer the third-level domain space to registrants. It benefits the widest possible audience, increases the usable domain space in a practical way, and mostly, benefits the domain name industry. ICANN and the domain registrar community should strongly support and encourage this use of the third-level domain name space.

You may have noticed that our website looks a little different. We've taken some time to spruce up the site, and add some new features we hope you'll appreciate, including:

• much better search
• an easier-to-use registration page
• much more user-friendly URLs (ie "http://www.centralnic.com/resellers/terms" instead of "http://www.centralnic.com/page.php?id=123")
• A "click to print" button on most pages

We've been careful to make sure that all the old page addresses still work, but if you see something that's broken, please let us know by .

Thanks,

The CentralNic.com Web Team.

If you have been the victim of fraud when shopping on the Internet, how much did you lose?

Less than £25              19%
£25 - £50                      11%
£50 - £100                      9%
£100 - £200                  10%
£200 or more                18%
Never been defrauded  33%

Which element is most important to you in your email address?

Easily memorable                                                                40%
Own full name included                                                       18%
Country-specific domain name suffix                                  18%
No pesky underscores, hyphens or numbers after names  24%

How has the introduction of email into the office affected your work?

Made me more productive  38%
Made me less productive    15%
Had no effect                      13%
My job depends on it           34%

Do you support the establishment of a .EU top level domain?

Yes           76%
No             15%
Undecided  9%

When you are purchasing online, do you look for the yellow security padlock?

Yes, always            55%
When I remember  17%
No, I don't bother    28%

Where do you spend most time online?

At work      27%
At home    38%
At school   23%
Elsewhere  12%

How many domain names do you own?

None      30%
1 to 5      27%
5 to 20    15%
20 to 50   6%
Over 50  22%

What do you think most people give up for Lent?

Alcohol       20%
Chocolate   27%
Cigarettes   15%
Washing Up  7%
Other          10%
Nothing       21%

What does HTML stand for?

Hyperlink Transfer Message Library    20%
Hardware Tabulation Machine Leader   7%
Hypertext Markup Language                62%
Harry's Top Macintosh Laboratory       11%

Does your office have a pet?

Dog     30%
Cat      11%
Mouse 10%
Fish     13%
Other   12%
None    24%

How do you think background music affects productivity at work?

More work gets done   59%
Less work gets done   21%
Makes no difference   20%

May 1, 2000, London - Today sees the launch of an independent global domain name registry, CentralNic Limited, offering a whole host of new domain names comprising of a country code plus a dotcom suffix and includes names such as uk.com (United Kingdom), us.com (United States), cn.com (China) and many more.

The company is the successor to NomiNation Limited, the first private Internet Registry launched in 1995 to handle registrations for uk.com. The introduction of gb.com, gb.net and uk.net quickly followed.

Around the world the Internet is experiencing phenomenal growth resulting in a scarcity of suitable domain names. The names offered by CentralNic provide a valuable service to organizations and individuals who want to have a presence in different countries but experience difficulty in registering a domain name because of local qualifying rules.

A spokesperson for CentralNic said: "CentralNic is providing a valuable service to the marketplace. For Internet users who wish to reflect a geographical identity, the CentralNic Registry offers a quick and efficient solution."

"We currently have 16 names in our portfolio which cover most of the world however we are very close to securing two further exciting domain names which will substantially add to our world domination of these geo-centric domain names."

May 23, 2000, London - Global domain name registry, CentralNic Limited, established 1 May 2000, is launching a new range of domain names at the Internet World Show.

Existing domain names available for registration uk.com, uk.net, gb.com and gb.net are now joined by us.com, cn.com, hu.com, no.com, qc.com, se.com, sa.com, uy.com and za.com.

The names correspond to country codes and provide a valuable service for organisations and individuals wanting to have a presence in different countries but are unable to register a domain name because of local qualifying rules.

CentralNic's forerunner NomiNation Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CentralNic, has handled registrations for uk.com since 1996 and in 1999 acquired uk.net, gb.com and gb.net. The names are hugely successful in the UK and CentralNic is looking to mirror a similar success in countries around the world.

Registration takes less than a minute and costs £65 per domain name for a period of two years.

A registrar package is available offering discounts for regular bulk registrations. Domain name registrations and applications to become a registrar can be found on the site at www.centralnic.com.

A spokesperson for CentralNic said "CentralNic has a versatile portfolio of domain names offering a viable alternative to organisations looking for a global presence. There is a huge gap in the market for global registrations and with over four year's experience of running the registry for uk.com, we are technically and commercially well poised to launch these names to the world."

"The domain name industry is a lucrative business and we invite interested parties to apply to become a CentralNic registrar. Within the next few weeks we are expecting to add further exciting names to our portfolio."

By Carlos Grande, Financial Times

A UK company has launched a global single market in ".eu.com" internet addresses ahead of official plans for a domain to promote European Union e-commerce.

CentralNic, a London registry of domain names, is selling variations on the .eu.com domain to any business worldwide seeking a European presence.

It claims businesses are frustrated by the time taken to launch the planned ".eu" domain and the bureaucratric registration rules of some EU states.

The European Commission - the EU's executive - has agreed the proposal for a .eu domain as a counterweight to the US domination of .com names. But the scheme must now be approved by Icann, the global internet domain name regulator.

It is not certain who will regulate the .eu domain - the first non-national, geographically specific domain. The Commission is thought to favour a non-profit independent organisation, although the details will need further consultation.

CentralNic, however, has raced ahead by buying the domain "eu.com" from a German couple who registered it several years ago but never used it.

SAN FRANCISCO, July 5, 2000 - CentralNic Ltd., a leading global domain name registry, successfully launched two new domain names today, eu.com and us.com, targeted primarily at Internet users seeking a US or European online identity. Like other domain names available through CentralNic Ltd. such as uk.com, the latest domain names provide Internet users with broad opportunities to register their own domain names of choice that may already be taken by Top Level Domains (TLDs) such as .com, .net, .uk and .de.

"The shortage of domain names has concerned Internet authorities and users for some time and CentralNic Ltd. is fulfilling pent-up demand from the worldwide marketplace," said a spokesperson for CentralNic Ltd, headquartered in London. "Organizations without a European identity, or those seeking a more US-focused identity, can secure the coveted .com ending now."

Top Level Domain names such as .com, .net, and .org are used by companies, network companies and non-profit organizations respectively, and each country in the world has its own Country Code TLD, such as .uk for the United Kingdom and .de for Germany. CentralNic Ltd. (www.centralnic.com) is a global domain name registry that expands the portfolio of classical domain names within the domain name structure. CentralNic Ltd. currently owns Internet "real estate of more than 17 domain names available to users worldwide, including ru.com (Russia), cn.com (China), za.com (South Africa) and sa.com (Saudi Arabia).

CentralNic Ltd. offers a viable and secure solution for its customers and resellers, particularly in countries where Internet domain names are difficult to obtain due to restrictive government domain regulations. CentralNic Ltd. is an independent, commercial organization, capable of responding quickly and effectively to the overwhelming demand for additional domain registrations

EU.com Provides Users With A Single European Umbrella Domain Name

The eu.com domain name is available to individual and corporate Internet users worldwide, and is expected to appeal to companies seeking a single European umbrella domain name, rather than having to rely on a number of Country Code Top Level Domain names, such as .uk, .de and .fr. In addition, CentralNic Ltd. is targeting Non-European Union (i.e. Switzerland) and Eastern European companies seeking a more pan-European presence. Companies in countries with excessively restrictive domain regulations, and those seeking European customers, are also likely customers.

US.com For Users Seeking To Emphasize US Presence or US Identity

The us.com domain name is available to individual and corporate Internet users worldwide, and is expected to appeal to non-US companies that do business in the United States and want to emphasize their US presence, as well as US companies that do business internationally, and want to emphasize their US identity. Companies in countries with excessively restrictive domain regulations are also likely customers.

At $99 per name for a 2-year registration, CentralNic Ltd. domain names are competitive in price, and the company provides excellent customer care, including legal expertise for issues such as country specific regulations and individual vs. corporate ownership of domain names. This is an area of increasing concern in today's business environment, where company names change frequently, and where it is difficult to identify the legal owner of a domain, the individual or the corporation.

About CentralNic Ltd

Originally founded in 1995, CentralNic Ltd. was established in May 2000 as an independent global domain name registry for a portfolio of domain names including eu.com (Europe), us.com (United States), uk.com (United Kingdom), cn.com (China) and ru.com (Russia). In addition to domain name registry services, CentralNic Ltd. provides Internet users worldwide with expertise on domain name law, Internet governance and other related legal and regulatory issues.

San Francisco, August 7, 2000 - NamesDirect.com today announced that it has been approved as an official registrar of the .us.com, and .eu.com Internet domain names. The names have been developed by British company, CentralNic Ltd., in order to offer clients a new way to register their domain name of choice, while still maintaining the coveted .com extension.

"We are very excited about being able to offer these new domain extensions to our North American and European customers," says NamesDirect.com president Richard Lau. "This is a great opportunity for companies and individuals to obtain a strong U.S. or European identification right in their domain name. For U.S. companies in particular, this is a great chance to reserve the domain name they want, but that may no longer be available as a .com extension."

The .us.com domain name is expected to appeal to both American and international companies that do business in the United States, while .eu.com is expected to appeal to companies seeking a single European umbrella domain name, rather than having to rely on a number of Country Code Top Level Domain names, such as .uk, .de and .fr. Companies in countries with excessively restrictive domain regulations are also likely customers.

The two new domain name options will be available through NamesDirect.com and its partner sites for $99 for two years. All Customers will also receive free of charge NamesDirect.com's valuable package of services, including: free email forwarding, free domain (URL) forwarding, free U.S. trademark searches and free web-based email (with no advertising or message tags).

A spokesperson for CentralNic said "CentralNic is delighted that NamesDirect is one of the first major registrars in North America to become an accredited CentralNic registrar. Given NamesDirect's pedigree and obvious success in the domain naming industry, the organization is proving yet again, that by providing users with further choice in the domain name space, it is determined to stay an industry leader,".

About NamesDirect.com
NamesDirect.com Ltd. is an ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assignment of Names and Numbers) accredited Registrar of .com, .net, and .org domain names. Since 1998, it has registered over quarter million domain names through its popular YourNameFree.com and 123Register4free.com affiliated websites.

September 28, 2000, London - CentralNic, the leading global domain name registry, attended the Future UK Internet Awards Ceremony in support of many of their resellers that had been nominated for individual awards by Future Publishing readers.

The ceremony, which took place at The Natural History Museum, was attended by top representatives from the UK's leading Internet and software related businesses.

"CentralNic will always support any initiatives that bring about the best in the Internet industry," said a spokesperson for CentralNic. "It was good to see several of our esteemed resellers win individual awards at this prestigious ceremony."

November 28, 2000, Paris - CentralNic, the leading global domain name registry is exhibiting at The Internet World Show in Paris 29-30 November.

The Registry has recently introduced the eu.com domain name providing a perfect business solution for European organisations entering the global market.

Registration is quick and simple and there are no restrictions to qualify for a domain name such as yourcompany.eu.com. Further names that CentralNic provides include sa.com, us.com, ru.com, qc.com and uk.com and many more.

During the Internet World Show, CentralNic is looking to meet and appoint further resellers to join them in the lucrative domain name market.

During the exhibition, CentralNic gave two presentations, the first covering 'Domain Names and Legal Issues' and the second entitled 'The European Domain Name Space'.

January 23, 2001 - CentralNic and Squire, Sanders and Dempsey Legal Counsel give a presentation entitled 'Creating Trusted Names' discussing how to strengthen the ability of a company to hold and police its brands, trademarks and domain names. To view slides visit http://www.ripe.net/ripe/meetings/archive/ripe-38/index.html.

February 28, 2001 CentralNic, the leading global domain name registry is pleased to announce the appointment of Joe Alagna as North American Marketing Manager.

Joe has held various sales & marketing positions at AT&T Wireless over a period of nine years including Sales Manager and National Account Manager. He will be responsible for recruiting further resellers in the North American market as well as introducing and promoting the us.com domain name.

"There is a lot of activity surrounding the issue of domain names in North America with many companies introducing new initiatives to satisfy the thirsty domain name market, as well as the launch of further top level names later in the year," said Joe.

"CentralNic has come up with easily the best solution. A geo-centric domain name, together with the coveted dot com ending, is going to be a real winner in North America. Several registrars have shown an interest in becoming resellers already as they can see how appealing the us.com domain name will be here." He continued.

May 10, 2001 - With over four million dot de domain names registered in Germany, CentralNic, the leading global domain name registry has provided a solution to ease the shortage of desirable domain names by introducing de.com.

The suffix, which is the 18th in UK-based CentralNic's portfolio, will provide millions of new names for the German market, which is one of the biggest and fastest expanding on the Internet.

Already a number of German registrars have shown a keen interest in becoming VAR's for de.com as they can see the valuable potential of this domain name. One of the first companies to offer de.com is Corpex Internet GmbH, a leading business-to-business full service Internet provider based in Hamburg.

Commenting on the provision of de.com, Philipp Gaschutz, Managing Director of Corpex Internet GmbH said "In the overladen .com and .de domain name market, it is often difficult to register an appealing name for a customer which has not yet been taken."

"The introduction of de.com will provide a perfect solution, not only for those whose domain is already taken, but also because .de.com reflects both, an international and local nature of a business."

A spokesperson for CentralNic said "When the company launched eu.com last June, it registered more than 10,000 domain names in the first month and it is expected that de.com will generate a similar response."

"The UK has benefited from a choice of domain names including co.uk or uk.com for many years and consumers expect to have this choice. The introduction of de.com to Germany is an entirely new concept and we expect this to open up a whole new segment of the market for the benefit of users and registrars alike."

Despite economic downturn, particularly among dotcom businesses, renewals of domain names, the Internet's directional sign-posts remain high.

Domain names, which can be registered either by going to a Registry direct or through one of hundreds of registrars based in the UK, last for a period of two years, after which another payment is required for a further two year period.

The huge rise in the domain name market in 1999, up 10,000% in one registry, is coming back to haunt cybersquatters and domain name warehousers as the two-year renewal bills start to kick in.

Chancers who hoped to make a huge profit on good names are being stung as the 'Pay up or lose it' demands arrive.

Registry CentralNic reports a significant increase in registration 'whois' checks as victims of cyber-piracy keep looking to see if their preferred name has been abandoned by a hard-up cybersquatter.

A spokesperson for CentralNic said "We are keeping a careful eye on the 'whois' volume which has been climbing steadily all this year. The second year anniversary of the domain name registration boom may be a bit stressful. The uk.com and eu.com domain name spaces both had huge peaks in demand two years ago."

"Despite the woes of cybersquatters legitimate businesses are keeping their names and we are seeing renewal levels in excess of our expectations."

"This surprisingly high level of domain name renewals demonstrates that British businesses are showing confidence in the long-term use of the Internet and also confounds pundits who predicted a severe downturn in the domain name market."

June 20 - Three "cherished" domain names - website addresses - fetched £800 each when they went under the hammer in an online auction.

The names - www.business.eu.com, www.tickets.eu.com and www.sex.eu.com - were donated by London-based domain names registry CentralNic.

A CentralNic spokeswoman said: "We're delighted that the auction went so well. We wanted to help the farmers but couldn't think how - until we came up with the idea of putting these valuable domain names up for sale.

"All the proceeds have gone to the Supporting Farmers in Crisis Fund. We realise that in the great scheme of things it is a relatively small amount but we hope it will do some good.

"The .eu.com suffix is becoming an increasingly popular choice for many European businesses."

NFU President Ben Gill said: ''We are very grateful that CentralNic have chosen to support the farmers in this way.

''The suffering among the farming community has been immeasurable. The one shining light that is keeping people going through the crisis is the support and good will that they have received from the public."

Monday December 10, 2001 - To satisfy a mature Internet market in Great Britain, where more and more people want to reflect their individuality in email addresses and on a personalised website, global domain name registry, CentralNic has launched @GB, a service which enables users to have a firstname/surname email and website address.

The package costs £10 + VAT per year and includes a firstname.lastname.gb.com domain, email forwarding, for example: rachael.bates@gb.com together with a live website, www.rachael.bates.gb.com.

Included in the price is a simple-to-follow wizard enabling users to build a personalised website which can include your photograph. Customers without the use of a digital camera can send a photograph by post to @GB's offices for uploading on to the individual's site.

The service can be up and running within minutes and can be sourced at www.gb.com.

A spokesperson for the @GB service said "This new service will attract the second generation Internet users, those who already have an email address but who are now prepared to experiment a little further and wish for a personalised website together with an email address that reflects their individualism.

"The market is ready to accept this new product which is priced deliberately low - £10 + VAT per year - to attract a wide audience. We expect the @gb.com address to become a strong brand within the coming year particularly when we introduce the @gb.com directory enabling users to be easily located," he continued.

Background - @GB is owned by CentralNic Limited, a global domain name Registry. CentralNic is the Registry for a portfolio of 18 country names, the first of which was uk.com launched in 1995.

CentralNic's names are now in use the world over, marketed through 800 plus resellers globally.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

London, October 07, 2002..

Amidst ongoing uncertainty surrounding control of the co.za domain, South African domain name registries are looking for safe, viable alternatives and many are beginning to offer the za.com domain.

The za.com domain is managed by global domain name registry, CentralNic. Based in the United Kingdom, CentralNic is the Registry for 18 domain names, all offering a country specific identity within the coveted .com ending, among them, uk.com, which has been available since 1995 and was launched to offer consumers in the UK a choice.

The za.com domain offers a safe, reliable web identity for businesses and individuals wishing for an Internet presence reflecting the national distinctiveness of South Africa.

Megaweb Internet Services and DigitalDomainz.com are two established South African registrars quick to see the opportunity that za.com offers, and domain names ending with za.com can be easily and seamlessly registered on their sites.

As za.com is becoming more popular, high profile organisations are using this name to promote their products and services. The new South African Popstars teen band, '101', for example use www.101.za.com as their window to the world.

A spokesperson for CentralNic said "CentralNic's names are well established in the UK and Europe and we are now making a significant penetration into the South African market. Our names are not governed by local rules and there is still the opportunity to register domain names that people want."

"With the support of local registrars, za.com looks set to be a popular and first choice domain name in South Africa in the near future."

PRESS RELEASE

BRITISH .ORG BIDDERS TO RETURN $5 MILLION ENDOWMENT

London, 21 June 2002 - Organic Names Limited, a new British company combining the resources of global domain registry CentralNic and the pedigree of board members of Nominet UK, the registry for .uk Internet domain names, is making a strong bid to run the registry for the Internet domain .org.

The 2.5 million name .org registry, is run by US company, Verisign, which also manages the .com and .net domains. To avoid this monopolistic position, ICANN, (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), the body responsible for the technical co-ordination of the Internet, decreed that the present registry agreement for .org should expire on 31 December 2002 and be put up for tender.

Ten hopefuls will be competing against Organic Names but the company believes it has major advantages over its competitors.

One of ICANN's main requirements is that the successful registry can demonstrate its capability to operate a domain name registry of significant scale. Organic Names will be one of the few contenders in this area that has proven technical and commercial competence. Its principals run Nominet UK which handles over 3.5 million registrations and CentralNic's registry of over 1.5 million names.

Unusually .org carries a 'windfall' of US $5,000,000 for the successful bidder.

"We see this as a distraction and the wrong motivation to attract serious bidders" says Alex Bligh, a board member of Organic Names.

"We are interested in running a stable long-term business and we believe that ICANN will make better use of this endowment. Organic Names has secured substantial investment, has unparalleled management expertise within the domain name industry and the technical experience and capability to ensure the smooth and secure transition of the .org registry.

"Our sound business plan encompasses a safe and reliable for-profit registry for the 2.5 million .org names already registered. It is also responsive to and supportive of the non-commercial Internet community who use the .org name".

Steve Dyer, board member of Organic Names, said "No longer will .org be the forgotten global top-level domain. We intend to position .org as the name that says 'The user is an organisation that prides itself on having a social perspective'.

Today, many companies have a focus on concerns surrounding ecology, organic production, and pollution. The .org name will provide a simple way for a company to express this ethos. Organic Names will give the .org name a real purpose in the Internet community".

20 February, 2003, UK CentralNic Registry has come to the rescue of customers of Net Registrar who have been left in the lurch by a decision of the Colombian Government to change their policy regarding the 'uk.co' domain name.

The Colombians changed their policy of the '.co' domain name and decided that domains under the extension 'uk.co' will not be available leaving thousands of 'uk.co' users without a website or email.

CentralNic, the domain name registry for a series of '.com' global domains including uk.com and uk.net, has observed an increase in registrations following the 'uk.co's demise.

One customer, Charles Parsons, creator of Polka Dot Art Gallery in Exeter housed his online gallery of contemporary art at www.polka.uk.co only to see it disappear earlier this week.

"Losing my website and email was bad enough, but I had just organised the printing of all my stationery which of course included the website address" said Charles Parsons.

"Fortunately my web designer has organised an alternative stable domain quickly - polka.uk.com and I am now back online with www.polka.uk.com. However I will still have to re-print all my stationery even though it's just a case of adding an extra 'm'." He continued.

Camilla Coxe, managing director of CentralNic said "Any domain ending in '.com' is a secure and stable domain. These include CentralNic's domains such as 'uk.com' and 'eu.com' which are offered by some 1,000 agents across the globe."

"The loss of uk.co questions the stability of other top level domains used for commercial purposes such as '.tv'(Island of Tuvalu); '.ws.' (Western Samoa) and '.nu' (Island of Niue) which would affect approximately 1 million domain name holders.

"In the case of uk.co many of our resellers such as Names.co.uk and Simply.Com Limited are recommending an easy transition to a CentralNic domain. CentralNic has been registering domains under the 'uk.com' extension for over seven years. They offer stability as they use the coveted '.com' ending." She added.

Offering a wide variety of simple and attractive email addresses for a unique email identity. From @us.com and @uk.com, to @eu.com and beyond; get an emailme name today!

Either user the search form above or visit emailme.com for more information.

Research conducted by Internet domain name registry CentralNic has revealed which elements of a personal email address are most important to today's technology user. With many users finding it increasingly difficult to obtain their preferred email address CentralNic decided to carry out a survey to discover exactly what users want to have in their Internet identity.

Where once upon a time the idea of a 'wacky' email address might have seemed like a fun idea, a level of pragmatism and prudence has crept into the mindset of the modern email user. With more and more people using their web-based email accounts for important personal subjects such as job applications, or being self-employed and working from home, a degree of professionalism has become necessary when choosing a new email address.

CentralNic's poll asked users which aspect of their email address they considered to be the most important, and the highest percentage of votes - forty-one per cent of over one thousand individuals polled - stated that an easily memorable email address was their priority.

Next in order of significance was the absence of punctuation symbols and numbers. One respondent commented "I get tired of having to explain to people what the difference between a hyphen and an underscore is". Twenty-three per cent of voters considered the lack of underscores, hyphens and numbers to be the foremost aspect when registering an email address.

Third in terms of importance came a reference in the address to geographical identity in the address suffix with nineteen per cent, and fourth was the inclusion of the user's full name as prefix with seventeen per cent.

Camilla Coxe, Managing Director of CentralNic, urged users to shop around when choosing their personal email addresses. "Although there are few ISPs now able to offer users the ideal email address of their choice, users can still hunt around and find a desirable address. It's worth that bit of extra effort to avoid having an address that is a muddle of punctuation and numbers".

Amidst the current debate surrounding unsolicited email (commonly known as spam), and how best to deal with it, research shows that preventing spam and viruses remains second choice for consumers when selecting a web based email service. The most important factor is the price. Both the European Union and the UK Government are currently involved in targeting unsolicited email to prevent spam overpowering regular emails.

Research recently conducted by global domain name registry CentralNic Ltd has uncovered what today's users look for most in a web based email service. The one thousand plus users voted overwhelmingly that spam was not their primary concern when seeking a web based email account, but that instead it was a free-of-charge service. Forty-six per cent of respondents considered a free account to be top of their list.

Unsolicited email, the current hot topic in the IT world, ranked the second most important aspect in the survey with twenty-one per cent considering a high level of anti-spam and anti-virus protection as paramount. Having an easy-to-remember email address ranked third in terms of importance, with fifteen per cent of respondents considering this to be more valuable to them than a free service or a high level of security.

Less intrusive pop-up advertisements and banner adverts, with 10 per cent of the votes, was regarded as the fourth most significant aspect when choosing a web based email service and last of all eight per cent of respondents said that they would like to have a large amount of storage space in their web based email service.

CentralNic Managing Director Camilla Coxe said "The survey revealed some interesting results. It appears that consumers may be more relaxed about the problem of spam than the industry has indicated. This could be due to the confidence in technological advances that may combat spam before it becomes an unmanageable issue. Many web based email accounts are now including spam and anti-virus features as a product enhancement".

"The increase of spam and viruses among the estimated three hundred million web based email accounts worldwide is beginning to have a negative effect on how users view the service. However the growth of these web based email accounts will continue as they can be accessed from anywhere in the world with an Internet connection," she continued.

In the run-up to the launch of the .eu top level domain proposed for early 2004, CentralNic's eu.com is becoming increasingly popular especially among registrars in Germany.

The introduction of the .eu domain to represent the Europe Union and to boost trade within the European community, was first mooted over five years ago, and its continued delay in a launch date has frustrated the IT community and businesses alike.

A recent poll carried out by CentralNic, asking the question 'when, in your opinion, would .eu be launched?', indicated that 47 per cent of the IT industry were of the opinion that the .eu domain will not launch within two years. Thirty per cent of the general public believe the .eu domain will be available in early 2004 although only 12 per cent of IT specialists share this view.

Many companies, who wish to reflect a European identity within their domain name immediately, are registering the eu.com domain name which has been available through the CentralNic Global Registry since 2000.

Camilla Coxe, Managing Director of CentralNic commented "We have seen a sharp increase in the eu.com registrations recently, particularly from German registrars."

"The eu.com name has no barriers or restrictions and is available to all people and organisations wishing to make a statement about their European identity. Eu.com is truly the domain name for a wider Europe and many companies are taking advantage of the availability of the eu.com domain so they can reflect their European distinctiveness now."

A company backed by a large media and telecoms group has purchased the business of CentralNic the "uk.com" Internet name Registry for an undisclosed sum. This follows CentralNic's recent successful re-structuring. The business will continue to trade under the CentralNic name.

The same staff will remain in place and the business premises will remain at the same location, ensuring a seamless transition.

A spokesperson for the vendor said "We wish the new owners well in the development of the Registry and are sure that they will continue to serve the customers and registrars to the same high standard that we have in the past."

Robert Pooke, director of the acquirer said "I hope this will prove a successful new dawn for CentralNic, with a strong financial base to back our future investment plans."

Camilla Coxe, who will continue to head the business, said: "I am delighted that the business can flourish under new ownership, and our continued commitment to stakeholders remains unchanged."

If you've been wanting to register "whatever.com" and it hasn't been available, you might just be able to get "whatever.us.com" in its place. These unrestricted domain names are now widely available on a first come first serve basis.

eNom, one of the largest ICANN Accredited Domain Name Registrars, has introduced a series of two-letter, geo-specific, domain names. These domain names, made possible by CentralNic , a private London Based domain name registry, include US.COM, EU.COM, UK.COM, CN.COM, RU.COM, DE.COM & twelve others that represent the worlds most populated countries.

Matt Stearn, VP, eNom Inc. & Joe Alagna, GM, North America, CentralNic, Ltd

"Our names open up the entire domain space again and work within the existing Internet infrastructure." said Joe Alagna, CentralNic's North American Manager. "There are tens of thousands of people in all of these countries who would love to be able to get a more descriptive domain name that ends in dot com, but can't because all the good dot com domains are taken. We not only give them a dot com domain, but we also give them a domain that relates to their specific country or region. People like that."

Matt Stearn, Vice President at eNom stated, "The domains are doing much better than projected. Considering the ease of implementation, high margins, CentralNic's rock-solid reputation, and long track record of success; adding their domains to our mix was a good business decision."

About CentralNic (http://www.centralnic.com) - Originally founded in 1995 as NomiNation, CentralNic is an independent global domain name registry committed to making it easier for Internet users to establish new and distinctive domain names with regional and country-specific identities. CentralNic has a portfolio of 18 domain names, including eu.com (Europe), uk.com (United Kingdom), & us.com, (United States).

Contact In London:

Phone: +44 (0) 870 017 0900.

Contact In the US:

Phone: +1 (909) 606 9175

About eNom (http://www.enom.com) - eNom, Inc. is an ICANN accredited domain name registrar. eNom provides domain name registration services directly to retail buyers and discounts these services to high volume resellers, ISPs and web-hosting companies. An innovator among registrars, eNom was the first to include DNS services, email forwarding and URL redirection with a domain name purchase. eNom also offers hosting, email, website monitoring, multi-lingual domains, international domains, and secure server IDs.

Contact In the US:

Phone: +1 (425) 274 4500