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"The recent launch of the new .asia domain is a further warning to companies to consider their online brand protection strategies and avoid putting themselves at unnecessary risk via neglected registrations."
Jonathan Robinson, Chief Operating Officer
Group NBT, the parent company of NetNames, which manages the domain name portfolios for over a third of the FTSE 100, has acquired Envisional Solutions Ltd, a provider of online brand protection services for £4million.
Envisional works with global brand owners to manage their internet presence – monitoring trademark use, highlighting brand infringements, gathering market intelligence and regulating legitimate brand use online. Envisional’s unique technology is able to identify images and logos, as well as text-based material in any language or alphabet in search of infringements and brand violations.
The acquisition will enable NetNames to reinforce and extend its market leading Platinum Service brand protection services with Envisional’s unique technology and experience.
NetNames Platinum Service clients will benefit from Envisional’s experience and successes in the fields of protection against fraud, piracy and counterfeiting, in addition to the domain name management solutions already offered by NetNames.
Geoff Wicks Chief Executive of Group NBT, NetNames’ parent company said “This transaction is of strategic importance for Group NBT. We have long recognised the requirement to be able to offer our customers a broader range of products, offering them an ability to protect their brands from various types of infringement in the online market. Envisional has very good technology to do this which is currently being used by some significant brand owners."
About NetNames
NetNames is part of London listed Group NBT plc (LSE: NBT). Through its industry leading domain name management service, NetNames Platinum Service, the company is responsible for managing and protecting online brands for international corporates, including in excess of 30% of the FTSE 100. Following the acquisition of Ascio Technologies in January 2007 NetNames became Europe’s largest domain name management specialist.
NetNames is an ICANN Accredited Registrar with the ability to register domain names in all available suffixes worldwide. The company is headquartered in London, with offices in New York, Nice, Munich, Madrid, Copenhagen, Zurich and Oslo. For further information, visit www.netnames.com.
About Envisional
Envisional was formed in Cambridge, UK, in 1999 by two British scientists, Chris Swannack and Ben Coppin. The company now has 30 staff and a worldwide blue chip customer list. Its unique A3I Internet monitoring technology is patented and proven in action and Envisional has developed close business partnerships with several major US technology firms. For further information, visit http://www.envisional.com
For further information please contact:
Ivan Ristic, Hotwire, tel: +44 (0) 20 7608 4647
Email: ivan.ristic@hotwirepr.com
Jon White, Hotwire, tel: +44 (0) 20 7608 4677
Email: jon.white@hotwirepr.com
2008