DENIC selects Tucows as exclusive partner for complementary North American registrar support, should the German registry be appointed the next .net registry by ICANN next month

Internet domain registry DENIC eG, of Germany today announced that it has joined with Canadian-based Internet services firm Tucows Inc. to ensure 24/7 support services for the .net registry, should DENIC be awarded the .net registry business by ICANN at the end of March. DENIC has selected Tucows as its exclusive provider of complementary .net registrar support services for the North American market. According to the Letter of Intent signed by both companies, Tucows will operate an English-language support facility in Toronto, while DENIC will continue to manage its English/German-language support center in Frankfurt. Together, the two companies will provide round-the-clock support for .net registrars. Last month, DENIC submitted its proposal to ICANN to take over administration of the important .net Top Level Domain (TLD), which is currently up for competitive bid.

Tucows provides a number of wholesale Internet services and back office solutions – among them, domain name registrations and management services. As part of its agreement with DENIC, and per the signed Letter of Intent, Tucows has agreed to put systems and processes in place to ensure .net operations data is not available to Tucows employees whose primary responsibilities are aligned with the company’s registrar business. The company pledges that all employees will adhere to a ‘Conflict of Interest’ policy that is in compliance with the ‘Code of Conduct’ and other applicable registry provisions for .net at ICANN. The agreement also stipulates that Tucows, in its role as a provider of .net support services, would give equal treatment to all registrars

On 18 January 2005, DENIC submitted a proposal to ICANN to take over management of the .net TLD. It is one of five registries vying to become the next .net registry operator, and DENIC believes it holds a strong and unique position to win the bid. In its proposal, DENIC highlighted its proven and stable technical services, its sound and transparent business model, its not-for-profit status, and its commitment to the needs of the international Internet community as key reasons why DENIC is a stand-out choice to be selected the next .net registry. The addition of Tucows as DENIC’s North American registrar support partner further strengthens DENIC’s position. ICANN is expected to make its decision on 31 March 2005.

For more information about DENIC and its recently-submitted proposal, please go to http://www.denic.net.

About DENIC

Established in 1994, and organized as not-for-profit cooperative since 1996, DENIC is the registry operator in Germany for .de domains. With more than eight million domains currently registered, .de has grown to become the world’s largest country code TLD (ccTLD), and the world’s second largest TLD after .com. DENIC is based in Frankfurt, Germany.

About Tucows

Tucows Inc. is a leading provider of wholesale Internet services and back office solutions to a global network of more than 6,000 web hosting companies, ISPs and other service providers. As the largest ICANN-accredited wholesale domain name registrar, Tucows offers a suite of complementary internet services including: domain name registration and management, digital certificates, email services and web publishing services. Tucows back office products, including the Platypus Billing System and customer relationship management solutions, enable service providers to automate and enhance their service offerings. Tucows also distributes software and other digital content through its global network of affiliates offering more than 40,000 software titles. For more information, please visit: www.tucowsinc.com.

For further information, please contact:

DENIC eG
 Pressestelle
 Dr. Klaus Herzig
 Wiesenhüttenplatz 26
 60329 Frankfurt am Main
 Telefon +49 (0)69/27235-168
 Telefax +49 (0)69/27235-235
 E-Mail herzig@denic.de