NameMedia’s Afternic Announces Continued European Expansion

WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Afternic’s Domain Listing Service (DLS) continues its dramatic expansion with the signing of two new registrars: German-based Key-Systems and UK-based MeshDigital. The expansion follows the opening of Afternic’s European office last month.

“By connecting prospective buyers with the broadest possible inventory of great domains, we will better meet their needs and improve the chances for domain sellers to find a buyer for their domains.”

Key-Systems is Europe’s second largest ICANN-accredited registrar, and a top twenty global registrar, with 1,700 worldwide resellers and more than 3,000,000 domains under management in the portals RRPproxy.net, domaindiscount24.com and brandshelter.com.

Mesh Digital is one of the world’s fastest growing registrars and has more than 500,000 domains under management through its retail sites: domainmonster.com, and reseller platform, domainbox.com.

Resellers of both Key-Systems and Mesh Digital will deploy Afternic’s “Instant Transfer” technology, allowing domain buyers the opportunity to purchase a secondary market domain in the purchase path on the registrar’s website by placing the domain in their shopping cart and having the domain in their control within minutes.

Afternic has been first to market with Instant Transfer for the secondary domain market, and now has more resellers participating than any other platform by a wide margin.

Afternic DLS helps connect domain buyers and sellers via a network incorporating more than 70 partners, including many of the world’s top registrars. Through DLS Premium Promotion, domain sellers reach tens of millions of prospective domain buyers monthly.

“The inclusion of Key-Systems and Mesh Digital registrars in the DLS support Afternic’s commitment to expansion of our European presence. We have seen that the growth of the DLS is driving a vast increase in demand for premium domains: our year-over-year sales for the first half of 2011 are up 94%. This increased demand, coupled with Afternic’s Instant Transfer capabilities, make premium domains more accessible and appealing to business users,” said Jason Miner, NameMedia Senior Vice President and Afternic General Manager. “By connecting prospective buyers with the broadest possible inventory of great domains, we will better meet their needs and improve the chances for domain sellers to find a buyer for their domains.”

About NameMedia and Afternic

Afternic DLS is the world’s largest domain marketplace, partnering with the world’s leading domain registrars and sellers. Through DLS, domains are promoted for sale to millions of domain buyers worldwide. Afternic is part of NameMedia, a leader in the acquisition, development and trading of digital real estate through a network of highly-targeted websites and a marketplace for premium domain names. The company’s website development focuses on creating compelling online communities in niche categories. The company’s marketplace allows owners of premium domain names to list their domain properties for sale, and for domain buyers to review the largest available inventory. Through its ownership of one of the largest domain portfolios in the world, its innovative website development platform, and its broad distribution, NameMedia now serves more than 50 million visitors to its network of websites and sells domains to customers in more than 100 countries. Headquartered outside Boston in Waltham, Massachusetts, more information is available at www.namemedia.com.

About Key-Systems

Key-Systems is located in St. Ingbert, Germany and is the #11 ICANN accredited registrar with more than 3 million domains under registration. Domains registered at Key-Systems will be eligible for Afternic’s Premium Promotion program and domaindiscount24.com will be included as a ‘Move Registrar’ option to customers. For more information on Key-Systems please visit: www.key-systems.net

About Mesh Digital

Mesh Digital has rapidly grown to become one of the fastest growing ICANN accredited registrars. Operating two major registrar brands, Mesh is well known to its retail customers through its Domainmonster.com brand. A top 3 performer in all major domain launches in the past three years, Domainmonster.com has earned its fast growth, now trading as a round the clock operation in Dollars, Sterling and Euros in 133 different countries. With a lightning fast Application Programming Interface (API) at its core, Domainbox.com is Mesh’s wholesale offering. A comprehensive and innovate wholesale offering for Domains, Email & SSL, Domainbox is now handling in excess of 1 million API calls a day across its diverse network of resellers.