All domains ending with .de are registered with us. We are the central registry of all domains under the country code .de. This means that we administer the register of all .de domains and thus ensure that each domain exists only once. Thanks to this register, you can access websites directly by simply entering the "name" - we then assign it to the corresponding IP address.

With more than 17 million domains, we run one of the largest Internet endings or "Top Level Domains" in the world. We also ensure registration and operation of the German ENUM domains under .9.4.e164.arpa - the counterpart of domains for telephone numbers.

We are a cooperative with around 300 members. Our member companies and organisations offer their customers Internet services and register and administer .de domains for them. Our Cooperative was founded in 1996 and its head office is in Frankfurt am Main.

All our activities are guided by the fundamental principles of our Cooperative, which are laid down in our Statutes. We

• Work on a not-for-profit basis
• Provide important services for the benefit of not only the German, but the global Internet community
• Are committed to a free Internet, which is open to everyone
• Are actively involved in shaping the further evolution of the Internet by participating in international bodies
• Act independently, responsibly and free from discrimination, in line with international standards for domain registries.

In Germany, .de is the uncontested leader in terms of popularity. One in six Germans has a .de domain. Moreover, anyone who wants to be active on the German markets via the Internet preferably combines their names with .de, relying on the trust Internet users have in the brand .de.

For this reason, .de domains are also in high demand internationally: Almost 1.7 million .de domains are registered for holders who are domiciled outside Germany.

• The existence of a central register of all .de domains – for this purpose, we operate a registration database for central administration
• Permanent availability of this register – anytime anywhere – for this purpose, we operate a global server network – the so-called name servers – for the ccTLD .de, as well as the German ENUM domain 9.4.e164.arpa
• That our members can register and administer domains for their customers – for this purpose, we provide an electronic real-time registration system for registration, deletion and updating of .de domains
• That anyone can find out which .de domains are already registered - for this purpose, we offer our information service "whois".
• That the Internet continues to evolve for the benefit of all – for this purpose, we host dedicated events and are actively involved in the present and future development of the Internet by participating in national and international bodies.

Our annual Activity Reports give you an insight into our activities and the development of our Cooperative.

Designed for Security and Stability

We operate an important component of the Internet infrastructure. Therefore, high demands are placed on our technical expertise and equipment: Our systems must be very powerful and highly secure, since they have to be reliably available at any time.

Our registration system handles approx 1.5 million new registrations, updates or deletions of domain data every month. These changes are transmitted to our central domain database, in which all domain data is stored. From this database, the technical information for our servers – the so-called name servers – is generated and sent to these servers several times a day. Our servers are distributed all over the world and respond to an average of six billion queries every day.

Permanent monitoring of service availability is another essential part of our security concept: The ongoing operation is monitored on a 24/7/365 basis to guarantee the performance and stability of all services around the clock. Since our technical infrastructure is equipped with ample capacity, we also place it at the disposal of others and offer our Anycast Nameservice to other top level domains.

Security and redundancy are of crucial importance to all of DENIC's services: This is why we operate two data centers that work independently of each other. All relevant services are implemented both in our data center in Frankfurt and in Amsterdam. Switching between the two identical environments in Frankfurt and Amsterdam is possible within just a few minutes. This brings big advantages: higher flexibility in case of scheduled maintenance and more security in case of a system error of failure.

Geared Towards Virtualisation and Automation

As regards the technical platform of our services, we place great importance on virtualisation technologies and automation of processes. When it comes to operation, monitoring, testing and implementation of new features – we rely consistently on the development and operation paradigm "Continuous Integration & Deployment" (CID):

• Updates and patches may be deployed in automated routines and as required
• In automated tests, all components and services of the system are checked
• Also during maintenance, services can continue to operate, virtually without interruption