Top brands fall victim to domain name overload with 1000 names each

companies losing track of domains as importance of online brand protection acknowledged

London -- February 14, 2002 -- The worlds top brands hold an average of just over 1000 domain names each, according to research from NetNames, the UKs leading domain management specialist.

NetNames, part of NetBenefit plc, used its unique Brand Audit software to analyse the domain name assets of the worlds most valuable brands (source: Interbrand). A number of companies including Microsoft and The Walt Disney Company both hold over 3000 top level domains (.com, .net, .org and .uk suffixes). Other companies on the list, such as Nokia, Ford and Coca-Cola each hold between 200 and 1000 domains within their portfolio.

This compares with an average of over 800 domains for FTSE-100 companies. Amongst these large UK corporations, half hold between 500 and 2000 domain names, whilst 40% have 100 -- 500 domain names registered.

Even where effective registration strategies have been undertaken, the research shows that many companies are not necessarily using their domain names as effectively as they might. By registering domain names, but then failing to point them to their web site, traffic is lost and potential customers may surf to rival sites instead.

Microsoft, for example, has registered domains like 'miccrosoft.com and 'hortmail.com to help surfers who accidentally enter incorrectly spelt domain names into their browser. Having successfully defended itself against typo-squatters", the company has apparently not configured these domains to point to a web site, rendering them far less effective than they might otherwise have been.

A more detailed view of the domain name portfolio of a well-known UK corporate shows that it has failed to consolidate its domain name portfolio two years after a high-profile merger. At best, companies in this position run the risk of failing to make optimum use of their domain name assets. However, if the contact details have changed, such as the registered address of the company or the name of the persons responsible, renewal notices may go astray, resulting in very valuable domain names failing to be renewed.

Our research bears out what we suspected, and is consistent with recent research by independent analysts such as Gartner Group," said Jonathan Robinson, director of business development at NetNames. Over the last couple of years, large companies have taken heed and begun to protect their intellectual property online by registering their brands as domain names. For companies with numerous brands, operating in various markets, this can equate to a domain name headache with a portfolio numbering several thousand."

However registration and initial protection is less than half the story. Diligent domain management is an ongoing process and should be an integrated part of corporate brand management. Unfortunately, when companies hold more than 50 domain names, it becomes very difficult to do this effectively. We believe that NetNames has the best combination of software tools and expertise in the industry in order to make domain management a painless process and ensure companies get the most out of their online assets," he continued.

NetNames recently launched a new suite of domain name management services designed to protect intellectual property and ensure that these valuable online assets are managed as effectively as possible. For further information, please visit the NetNames web site at www.netnames.com, or call Colette Douglass on +44 (0) 20 7549 5342.

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NOTES TO EDITORS
NetBenefit plc (LSE: NBT) is an Internet business solutions provider; one of Europe's leading listed specialist domain name registration companies, as well as being one of the UK's largest web site hosting firms. Through the NetNames brand it provides domain name portfolio management services to the international corporate market. For the SME market it provides domain names with packages of web hosting, ecommerce and email services through the NetBenefit brand. NetBenefit is an ICANN accredited registrar for generic top level domains and has the ability to register names in all active domains under the more than 240 possible suffixes around the world.

Contact Details:
NetBenefit plc
Colette Douglass
Tel: +44 (0)20 7549 5342
E-mail: colette.douglass@netbenefit.com