Domain Registrars

You may have noticed that Dynadot’s website recently underwent a major overhaul. The following is a guest post from Jacqueline Daly, Marketing Manager for Dynadot, to discuss the changes.

Change and innovation are concepts that domain investors know very well. The industry as a whole is a constantly evolving landscape that our customers have to be aware of and adapt to. At Dynadot we are no stranger to innovation as it takes place behind the scenes on a daily basis. In order for us to maintain our commitment to innovation we thought it was time for our site to reflect the state-of-the-art technology that drives us.

In the process of redesigning our site, we focused on two things: making our site easier to navigate and having a site that conveys our core strengths and values. From our analytics and customer feedback we discovered that people would occasionally get lost on our site, especially on our homepage. With our new design, our goal was to make the most important parts of our site easy to find. Dynadot’s greatest strengths are making state-of-the-art technology look simple and providing friendly, personalized customer service when our customers need help.

Not only are we updating the aesthetics of our site we are also revolutionizing the user experience. The next step in this project is a new control panel that will be cleaner, faster, and more robust than our current control panel. We’ve been working close with some of our power users to develop a control panel that caters to our clients’ needs. Our new control panel will still have all of the capabilities of our current control panel; it will also include new features such as widgets so you can personalize your experience with the features you use most often. We want it to be the fastest, smartest, and easiest control panel in the industry. On top of the new control panel we will be launching new mobile applications as well as a desktop client. So stay tuned! The innovation is just getting started!

A special thanks to Elliot for giving us the opportunity to connect with you! As a thank you (for reading this far =p), take 15% off your next order to celebrate the launch of our new site. Use code: BACKinBLACK

*1 coupon per account. Excludes prepay orders. Offer expires 9/16/11 23:59 PDT

The Sunrise Period A for .XXX domain names officially opens tomorrow, September 7, 2011. Companies like EuroDNS will support companies who wish to reserve .XXX for their brands during this first opening. Sunrise A, also referred to as “grandfathering,” will continue until October 28, 2011.

You can see Euro DNS’ press release announcing the opening of Sunrise A below:

Euro DNS press release:

EuroDNS (http://www.eurodns.com), announces the opening of the .XXX Domain Name Sunrise at www.eurodns.com.

EuroDNS, a leading Domain name Registrar specialized in International Domain extensions, is glad to announce that the Sunrise phase for the new .XXX extension was successfully opened and will be available until October 28th, 2011. Secure your .XXX Domain Name; register for the Sunrise at www.eurodns.com.

The progressive new home for adult entertainment online

The Internet is home to a wealth of content, suitable for a wide range of ages and values. The adult entertainment industry has, and always will, account for a large amount of this content and while it is enjoyed by some, it is not suitable, or of interest, to all internet users. Regardless of your views on adult content, it’s here to stay, so let’s be adult about it.

Increasingly, internet users are coming into contact with content that they do not wish to see and in turn, others finding it hard to locate exactly what they are looking for, due to a decrease in availability for precise and clear domain names.

The creation of .XXX will create a clearly signposted place where adult entertainment can be accessed and allow surfers to have a clear idea of the nature of the site before they click, rather than after.

.XXX isn’t just a helpful distinction. It’s the progressive new home for adult entertainment online.

As authorized registrar for the .XXX, EuroDNS is thrilled by the launch of this new and much talked about extension.

The .XXX registration timeline

The launch process will be done in specific phases based on the qualifications of both members and non-members of the Adult Sponsored Community.

September 7, 2011 marks the launch of the Sunrise period. This phase will run until October 28th, 2011 and is separated into Sunrise A (Opt-in) and Sunrise B (Opt-out).

– Sunrise A (Opt-in) is dedicated to members of the adult Sponsored Community with either verifiable trademark rights or owners of exact matching domains in other TLDs which is also known as “Grandfathering”.

– Sunrise B (Opt-out) – September 7, 2011 to October 28, 2011 – was created especially for non-adult Intellectual Property holders who are non-members of the adult Sponsored Community with verifiable trademark rights so they can block their domains in the .XXX space.

The Landrush period is scheduled from November 8, 2011 to November 25, 2011 while General Availability will kick of on December 6, 2011.

The Sponsored Community

The Sponsored Community consists of individuals, business, entities, and organizations that fit one of the following descriptions:

– Provide Online Adult Entertainment intended for consenting adults (“Providers”) (e.g. adult webmasters, performers, studios, store owners, club operators);

– Represent Providers (“Representatives”) (e.g. lawyers, agents, advisors, accountants, affiliates); or

– Provide products or services to Providers and Representatives (“Service Providers”) (e.g. adult domainers, manufacturers, delivery companies, caterers, distribution companies, merchant account services, make up artists, stylists, hosting services).

For more information on the related Sponsored Community Validation Process check out http://www.eurodns.com/top-level-domain/Generic/Xxx

.XXX registration fees

EuroDNS will charge its customers €74 annual registration fee (ex. VAT) for each .XXX domain name registered unless such domain name is allocated during the Sunrise B period (Opt-out), in which case EuroDNS will solely charge you with a €195 fee (ex. VAT) for a 10 years period.

In addition to the €74 annual registration fee, the following fees apply:

– “Adult Trademark” Sunrise A (Opt-in): €98 validation fee, on top of the annual fee (ex. VAT)
– “Adult Domain” Sunrise A (Grandfather): €55 validation fee, on top of the annual fee (ex. VAT)
– “Landrush” Period, open to anyone but with potential auction: €55 on top of the annual fee (ex. VAT)

No annual registration fee is added to the “Blocking” Sunrise B (Opt-out) which has a flat validation fee of €195 (ex. VAT) including a 10 years /blocking period.

For more details on the various period go to http://www.eurodns.com/top-level-domain/Generic/Xxx or

Secure your .XXX Domain Name

As of September 7, 2011 the Sunrise is open. Whether a trademark owner or a member of the adult Sponsored Community (Sunrise A), or on the contrary if you are not a member of the adult Sponsored Community but wish to protect your name from any future .XXX use (Sunrise B), now is the chance to register the corresponding .XXX domain name.

For more information on .XXX visit the .XXX TLD page on http://www.eurodns.com/top-level-domain/Generic/Xxx and http://www.eurodns.com/eurodns-news/article/secure-your-xxx-now

“Let’s be adult about it” and register your .XXX on http://eurodns.com now!

About EuroDNS
EuroDNS is a Domain name Registrar specialized in International Domain extensions. Based in Luxembourg with branch offices in Europe, the USA and Asia with AsiaDNS, EuroDNS serves a large variety of clients ranging from SMEs to some of the world’s largest Domain Investors and offers dedicated naming solutions to Trademark holders. By strongly participating in leading industry forums including ICANN and the International Trademark Association, EuroDNS seeks to promote e-Commerce and wider Internet adoption. www.eurodns.com

Web.com made news less than a year ago when the company acquired Register.com for $135 million. I just received a press release announcing another major domain name  registrar acquisition in the works: Network Solutions. The company is set to pay $405 million in cash plus stock, pending shareholder and regulatory approval.

According to the release below: “upon the closing Web.com will pay Network Solutions $405 million in cash and issue 18 million shares of Web.com common stock, in addition to refinancing existing net debt of Network Solutions and paying certain fees.”

At the present time, the NetSol is privately owned by General Atlantic LLC, a growth equity firm. The release also stated that “the transaction, which is subject to Web.com shareholder approval as well as customary regulatory approvals and closing conditions, is expected to be completed in the fall of 2011. At the close, General Atlantic and other current Network Solutions shareholders are expected to own approximately 37% of Web.com.”

According to Webhosting.info, Network Solutions reportedly has 6,313,988 domain names under management, and it is ranked the fourth largest domain registrar. Register.com reportedly has 2,362,587, and it’s the tenth largest domain registrar. Combined, this would be enough to move into the third spot, just ahead of Tucows.

Press Release:

JACKSONVILLE, FL and HERNDON, VA – August 3, 2011 – Web.com (Nasdaq: WWWW), a leading provider of internet services and online marketing solutions for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), and privately-held Network Solutions, a leading provider of website services, online marketing and global domain name registration focused on the needs of SMBs, today announced the signing of a definitive agreement for Web.com to acquire Network Solutions.

The transaction will create a leading end-to-end online solutions company with a clear path to $500 million in non-GAAP revenues as it focuses on providing web services to SMBs, a market estimated to be larger than $19 billion. Web.com believes its combined company will be positioned to deliver non-GAAP revenue growth in the low teens, with non-GAAP earnings per share and unlevered free cash flow growth in the mid-teens to 20 percent range over the next three to four years as revenue and cost synergies are realized. In particular, under current debt pricing terms, the transaction is expected to be at least 20 percent accretive to the $1.22 per share current First Call consensus estimate for 2012, with significantly greater accretion in 2013.

Under the terms of the agreement, upon the closing Web.com will pay Network Solutions $405 million in cash and issue 18 million shares of Web.com common stock, in addition to refinancing existing net debt of Network Solutions and paying certain fees. Network Solutions is currently majority owned by General Atlantic LLC, a leading global growth equity firm.

“This transaction represents a unique opportunity to dramatically expand our scale, add further momentum to Web.com’s already improving top line growth, and further expand our market share as the nationally recognized go-to provider of online marketing solutions specifically tailored to small and medium-sized businesses,” said David Brown, Chairman and CEO of Web.com. “Our integration strategy will be similar to our successful acquisition of Register.com, and we will be in a strong position to cross-sell and up-sell our services to Network Solutions’ approximately two million retail customers and hundreds of thousands of wholesale customers. We believe this combination will provide significant long-term shareholder value as we grow our business, capitalize on synergies, improve our margins and generate substantial cash flow to invest greater resources in growth and branding initiatives.”

“The acquisition of Network Solutions immediately delivers enormous scale to Web.com and better enables us to capitalize on the significant shift from traditional marketing channels to online marketing as mass adoption by SMB’s continues. Small and mid-sized businesses are increasingly looking to leverage the growing adoption of online local search, social media and mobile devices to grow, and they need cost-and time-efficient help. No other company has the combination of products, services and experience to help small and medium businesses as effectively as Web.com. Our combined organization will have far greater resources to market our end-to-end suite of solutions, in addition to using the power of a national brand for the first time in our history,” Mr. Brown continued.

Anton Levy, a Managing Director of global growth equity firm General Atlantic, the principal stakeholder in Network Solutions, said, “As growth investors, we are very excited to participate alongside other Web.com stockholders in its exciting strategy to be the web services and online marketing resource for SMBs. With this transaction, Web.com wins the race to scale, which is critically important at this moment in the shift to online marketing by small and medium-sized businesses.”

Tim Kelly, CEO of Network Solutions, stated, “Network Solutions has been a pioneer in this industry for nearly 30 years. We are very excited to combine our expertise, resources, customers and award winning customer service with Web.com. Our combined company will have tremendous know-how and a broad portfolio of online marketing, web services, social media and mobile solutions to help small businesses grow in the increasingly connected online world. For Network Solutions and Web.com, we will be positioned to capitalize on the more than $19 billion online services market for small and medium businesses in ways that neither company could do efficiently on a standalone basis.”

The transaction, which is subject to Web.com shareholder approval as well as customary regulatory approvals and closing conditions, is expected to be completed in the fall of 2011. At the close, General Atlantic and other current Network Solutions shareholders are expected to own approximately 37% of Web.com. In addition, as part of the acquisition agreement, Mr. Levy will join the Web.com board of directors.

Creates a market leader focused on small to mid-sized businesses
The combination of Web.com and Network Solutions will create a single company anticipated to have pro forma, combined non-GAAP revenue in the mid-$450 million range for 2011 and pro forma adjusted EBITDA of at least $120 million for 2011 before cost synergies and transaction expenses.

In addition, as of June 30, 2011, the pro forma combined company has:

–Approximately 3 million paying subscribers
–More than 9 million domains under management
–More than 1,900 employees worldwide

Both Web.com and Network Solutions utilize a high volume, multi-channel customer acquisition strategy that includes call centers, online and direct marketing, as well as distribution partners. Each markets a broad suite of solutions that include domain name services, web services, online marketing, eCommerce and other related solutions designed and delivered specifically for small and mid-sized businesses. With the infusion of Network Solutions’ two million retail customers and hundreds of thousands of wholesale customers, Web.com will have a tremendous opportunity to cross-sell and up-sell its online marketing, Facebook, mobile and web services offerings. In addition, Web.com’s current approximately one million subscribers will be offered a number of Network Solutions products and services that are complementary to Web.com’s product suite.