DNS Anycast Services, Data Escrow Services and Direct Services to be pooled in new affiliate company

The General Assembly of German ccTLD manager DENIC eG (.DE) decided on 26 April 2018 to set up a fully owned subsidiary which shall run, from a date later this year, all complementary business lines allocated to the Cooperative‘s non-member business and pooled in the parent enterprise so far. However, all tasks related to the management and operation of the .DE top-level domain shall fully remain within the sphere of responsibility of the parent company DENIC eG.

Prime Goal: Clear Distinction Between Member and Non-Member Businesses

The new subsidiary company, DENIC Services GmbH & Co. KG, shall pursue the goal of developing, establishing and operating new and existing business lines within the Cooperative’s core areas of expertise and fields of interest.

After the start of its operative business in the second half of 2018, DENIC Services GmbH & Co. KG shall initially take care of the DNS Anycast Services, Data Escrow Services and Direct Services units. Revenues of the subsidiary shall also be used to support such projects or initiatives that advance the interests of the overall Internet community.

Domain holders having registered their .DE domain names with DENIC Direct Services, instead of via a registrar, shall in the future be served by the new affiliate company’s customer care team, that shall act as the parent company DENIC eG’s processing agent. Yet, DENIC eG shall remain party to all domain contracts under .DE, including those of direct customers.

Moreover, DENIC Services GmbH & Co. KG shall take over from DENIC eG the provision of DNS anycast services that DENIC eG is currently providing to third-party top-level domain operators, as well as the provision of data escrow services that DENIC eG is currently offering to new generic top-level domain operators and registrars, and which it shall no longer be offering once its subsidiary will have launched operations.

Spin-Off: Underpinning the Cooperative Approach

The reason why DENIC chose to spin off its non-member complementary business into an affiliate company is that such business does not comply with its statutory Cooperative assignment, limiting its purpose to the management and operation of the .DE top-level domain.

Notwithstanding its demerger from DENIC eG, spun-off DENIC Services GmbH & Co. KG shall remain committed to and uphold the Cooperative spirit and values of the parent company.

For the assumption of its tasks, the subsidiary company shall utilize, on a fee-paying basis, its parent DENIC eG‘s technical infrastructure. Clients using DENIC’s DNS Anycast Services, Data Escrow Services or Direct Services shall consequently be able to continue benefitting from DENIC eG’s technical expertise, whilst customer care then provided by DENIC Services GmbH & Co. KG shall be tailored even more specifically to their particular needs.