DENIC
Ensures 24X7 Registrar Support Services For .net by
Teaming With Tucows [February 3, 2005]
FRANKFURT,
Germany, Feb 03, 2005 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Internet
domain registry DENIC eG, of Germany, today announced
that it has joined with Canadian-based Internet services
firm Tucows Inc. to ensure 24X7 support services for
the .net registry, should DENIC be awarded the .net
registry business by ICANN at the end of March. DENIC
has selected Tucows as its exclusive provider of complementary
.net registrar support services for the North American
market. According to the Letter of Intent signed by
both companies, Tucows plans to operate an English-language
support facility in Toronto; while DENIC continues to
manage its English/German-language support center in
Frankfurt. Together, the two companies plan to provide
round-the-clock support for .net registrars. Last month,
DENIC submitted its proposal to ICANN to take over administration
of the important .net Top Level Domain (TLD), which
is currently up for competitive bid.
"We are pleased to have found in
Tucows a partner with long-standing experience providing
domain registration support services of the highest
quality, and with whom we already have a close working
relationship through our .de registry business,"
said Sabine Dolderer, Director and Executive Board Member
at DENIC. "Tucows' experience, reliability and
excellent track record match with our own high standards
and will ensure that DENIC's helpdesk services for .net
will be reliably extended, will be available to all
.net registrars in all time zones, and will remain best-in-class."
"Tucows believes that the registry
awarded the .net contract must maintain technical stability
and ensure efficient management of this important namespace,"
said Elliot Noss, President and Chief Executive Officer,
Tucows Inc. "We are delighted to support DENIC
in their bid as they have demonstrated experience in
operating a registry beyond the scale of .net and have
also demonstrated a commitment to good stewardship and
an alignment of their registry interests with the good
of the Internet community. By adding our support services
to their established systems, together, we can provide
excellent support for the .net registry."
Tucows provides a number of wholesale
Internet services and back office solutions -- among
them, domain name registrations and management services.
As part of its agreement with DENIC, and per the signed
Letter of Intent, Tucows has agreed to put systems and
processes in place to ensure .net operations data is
not available to Tucows employees whose primary responsibilities
are aligned with the company's registrar business. In
addition, Tucows has agreed to adopt a 'Conflict of
Interest' policy that is in compliance with the 'Code
of Conduct' and other applicable registry provisions
for .net at ICANN. The agreement also stipulates that
Tucows, in its role as a provider of .net support services,
would give equal treatment to all registrars.
On January 18, 2005, DENIC submitted
a proposal to ICANN to take over management of the .net
TLD. It is one of five registries vying to become the
next .net registry operator, and DENIC believes it holds
a strong and unique position to win the bid. In its
proposal, DENIC highlighted its proven and stable technical
services, its sound and transparent business model,
its not- for-profit status, and its commitment to the
needs of the international Internet community as key
reasons why DENIC is a stand-out choice to be selected
the next .net registry. The addition of Tucows as DENIC's
North American registrar support partner further strengthens
DENIC's position. ICANN is expected to make its decision
on March 31, 2005.
For more information about DENIC and
its recently-submitted proposal, please go to http://www.denic.net.
About
DENIC
Established
in 1994, and organized as not-for-profit cooperative
since 1996, DENIC is the registry operator in Germany
for .de domains. With more than eight million domains
currently registered, .de has grown to become the world's
largest Country Code TLD (ccTLD), and the world's second
largest TLD after .com. DENIC is based in Frankfurt,
Germany.
About
Tucows
Tucows
Inc. is a leading provider of wholesale Internet services
and back office solutions to a global network of more
than 6,000 web hosting companies, ISPs and other service
providers. As the largest ICANN-accredited wholesale
domain name registrar, Tucows offers a suite of complementary
Internet services including: domain name registration
and management, digital certificates, email services
and web publishing services. Tucows back office products,
including the Platypus Billing System and customer relationship
management solutions, enable service providers to automate
and enhance their service offerings. Tucows also distributes
software and other digital content through its global
network of affiliates offering more than 40,000 software
titles. For more information, please visit: http://www.tucowsinc.com.
SOURCE DENIC eG |
