The Dawn of the Digital Identity Era. New Domain Suffix Heralds The Start of Cyber Identities.

The looming e-wallet battle between AOL, Microsoft, SUN Microsystems and Yahoo is really a fight for control of the individual consumers digital identity. The .name domain is the logical arena where these battles will take place," states Tom Barrett, CEO of EnCirca.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Kate Moran
EnCirca
917-957-0764
katem@encirca.biz

The Dawn of the Digital Identity Era. New Domain Suffix Heralds The Start of Cyber Identities.

January 17, 2002 -- Boston, MA EnCirca Inc., As the first .name web addresses go live, consumers now have the opportunity to establish permanent digital identities. .name is the first Internet domain reserved strictly for individuals. Domains are reserved in the form of http://www.john.hancock.name and an email would appear as, john@hancock.name.

The looming e-wallet battle between AOL, Microsoft, SUN Microsystems and Yahoo is really a fight for control of the individual consumers digital identity. The .name domain is where most of these battles will take place," states Tom Barrett, CEO of EnCirca.

Consumers will use their digital identity as their electronic home base. They will use it to conduct ecommerce, publish personal information and communicate with their human network of friends, colleagues and family. The individual will be in complete control: deciding who has access to their personal information."

Initial registrations to EnCirca indicate there are several groups rushing to secure their personal name in the .name domain:

1.   Celebrities, whose name is equivalent to a brand and fictional characters, are securing their name for use for marketing and merchandizing purposes.

2.   Job Professionals, who want to use it for career management and maintaining their personal network

3.   College seniors and MBAs, looking for an edge in todays tight job market.

4.   Families, looking for a space to establish family websites.

"One of the most valuable assets an individual has is their name. A .name domain allows individuals to secure an intuitive Internet address matching their name. Their personal .name will become their focal point for all online communications." says Mr. Barrett.

As individuals change jobs, get married, upgrade to broadband or move to a new town, the .name address provides continuity for the persons personal network.

About Encirca

EnCirca is a Registrar focusly solely on personal internet identities. For more information, please visit www.encirca.biz. Journalists: send inquiries to pr@encirca.biz