1&1 Internet, www.1and1.com, the world's largest web host by known servers, today announced it is now offering .CO domain name registrations. As one of only 11 exclusive registrars worldwide, 1&1 has official certification to sell the brand new domain extension. A variety of user-groups can now benefit from securing their relevant .CO domains for just $29.99/year. Businesses are advised to secure their domains early, as the granting of domain names is on a ‘first-come, first-served’ basis.

Domain experts expect a strong demand for the .CO domain, especially in relation to trade and commerce. Studies have shown that Internet users associate the .CO suffix with terms such as ‘COmmerce’, ‘COmpany’ and ‘COrporation’. Companies that currently hold a .COM domain will now have an opportunity to extend their online identity with the corresponding .CO domain. By adding a .CO version of their website to their pool of resgistered domains, businesses will proactively help protect their online brand against cyber-squatters.

Furthermore, the new top level domain (TLD) is also suitable for ‘COmmunities’ and other Web 2.0 purposes. For example, the popular micro-blogging service Twitter already uses .CO for its ‘T.CO’ Link Service.

The .CO domain originates as the TLD for Columbia. To push global adoption, the Government of the country has forwarded the rights to a consortium which permits registrations without any need for residence in South America.

Oliver Mauss, CEO of 1&1 Internet Inc., said “.CO is short and catchy. Its recognition value is therefore very high and with the various management possibilities for .CO, we see strong potential for its success.”

For more information on 1&1 hosting visit the website at www.1and1.com.


About 1&1 Internet Inc:
1&1 Internet Inc. is a subsidiary of United Internet, a profitable public company with a market cap of $3 billion. 1&1 was founded in 1988 and hosts more than 10 million domain names, while more than 70,000 servers run in the company’s five state-of-the-art data centers. 1&1’s global community is over 9 million customer contracts strong. The company’s U.S. headquarters is located in Chesterbrook, Pa.