This is unofficial, but according to Verisign's latest e-mail to registrars around the world, they claim to have acquired the London-based, Carlyle-backed company that runs the .name
top level domain. Verisign, which also runs the .com, .net and .org domains, among others, sent the following e-mail to all registrars stating:"We are pleased to announce that VeriSign closed on an agreement to acquire Global Name Registry, Ltd., which includes management of the .name top level domain on October 1, 2008. We believe the addition of .name is a natural fit, as we have run the technical backend in support of .name for more than five years.
What does this mean for existing registrars?
We are currently assessing enhancements to the service offering that meet the needs of the registrar channel in servicing the consumer market. Please look for service notices in the coming weeks that will outline those changes and the steps you need to take advantage of those features.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Customer Service at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Very truly yours,
PJ Bolanos
Vice President, Global Customer Support
VeriSign, Inc."
The size of the transaction is not being disclosed but most likely the price must not have been very high since .name has never seen much popularity.
Source: DomainNews.com on October 4th, 2008 - Posted by Roland G. Buck - Chief Editor