Afternic Launches German-Language Version of Aftermarket Domain Name Site

October 26, 2006; 02:37 AM
Afternic, a recognized leader in the aftermarket domain-name industry, has unveiled a German-language version of its online marketplace.

The site, Afternic.de, represents the company's first foreign-language edition, and is expected to build upon robust demand for secondary-market domain names both in Germany and the European continent as a whole. This summer reaching 10 million and growing, .de domain-name extensions rank second only to .com in total registrations, according to Roger Collins, Afternic's president and chief executive officer, citing industry statistics. Referencing these same figures, Collins said that the fast-growing German market has expanded to nearly 50 million Internet users in 2006, ranking it first in the European Community.

Collins stated: "The addition of a German language version of the Afternic site is a logical next-step extension for our business. Simply put, we're positioning the company to capitalize on a dynamic and growing market for domain names. As the most viable .de URLs are registered, e-commerce businesses will turn increasingly to the aftermarket. We expect to fill this niche.

"Visitors to our German site can expect to benefit from our vast selection of premium domain names," said Collins. "And like our original site, in addition to acting as a broker for sales and acquisitions of URLs, Afternic will also provide its usual stable of services, including domain name appraisals."

Beginning initially as a German version of its present site, Afternic expects in the near future to add European banking and payment processing, according to Collins. "Moving forward, we will likely also showcase and more prominently display .de and .eu (the top-level domain specific to the European Union) names on the site, as well as .com extensions of German-language names. We will be aided in these initiatives by two German employees who not only speak the language, but have deep understanding of the culture and e-commerce market," he said.

The launch of the Afternic.de site dovetails with the company's initiatives earlier this year to list for sale .eu domain names, after the extension was approved for registration by the Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). "The overall focus on Europe is expanding in all forms, representing new growth opportunities for us," Collins concluded.

About Afternic.com

A leading domain-name exchange based in Orlando, Fla., Afternic.com is the most recognized name in the secondary domain name industry. The company boasts an extensive exchange network, where partner domain name registrars refer buyers of aftermarket domains and earn commissions from Afternic. Some of the industry's leading registrars -- including Register.com, eNom.com and Eurodns.com -- are Afternic partners. The company has experienced triple-digit annual growth since its acquisition in 2002 from Register.com.