Afilias selects UltraDNS to Enhance Registry Services; UltraDNS' Managed Domain Name Services Advance Global Resolution of .INFO Internet Names to Less Than 5 Minutes.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN MATEO, Calif. & DUBLIN, Ireland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 3, 2002

UltraDNS Corporation, a leading directory infrastructure services provider, announced today that it was selected by Afilias Limited, a global provider of domain name registry services, to provide managed domain name services. UltraDNS will provide managed DNS for Afilias' global registry solutions for generic and country code top-level domains, including Afilias' flagship product .INFO. Linked to Afilias' advanced EPP-based registry system, UltraDNS enhances the speed of registration-to-resolution of .INFO names to less than 5 minutes.

UltraDNS and Afilias jointly commissioned Catbird Networks, a leading third party performance measurement company, to analyze registration-to-resolution time, or the time it takes for a domain name to be accessible by Internet browsers following registration. For comparison purposes, .INFO domain names were tested against both NeuStar managed .BIZ and VeriSign (NASDAQ:VRSN) managed .ORG domain names. The study found that .INFO domain names resolved significantly faster than both .BIZ and .ORG, with a median time of about 2 minutes. This was more than twice as fast as .BIZ, which took a median time of approximately 6 minutes, and many times faster than .ORG, which had a median time of nearly 12.5 hours. This means that the owners of over 945,000 .INFO names are able to update their domain information to reach their constituencies faster than ever before.

"Afilias has integrated UltraDNS' outsourced managed DNS into its comprehensive platform of domain names registry services," said Ram Mohan, Chief Technology Officer for Afilias. "The addition of UltraDNS' managed DNS enhances Afilias' service offerings and helps us deliver continuous improvements to our fast, reliable and secure domain name registry technology."

Through this relationship, Afilias customers will benefit from UltraDNS' worldwide network of DNS servers that are instantly updated in real-time and provide the fastest domain resolution of its scale in the world. UltraDNS' proprietary network infrastructure -- deployed globally across strategically located servers -- delivers 100 percent reliable, stable and secure DNS, backed by a full service level guarantee providing a distinct advantage over domains supported by Berkeley Internet Domain Name (BIND) or BIND derived software implementations. UltraDNS' non-BIND name server software also improves security, a key advantage for Afilias' domains versus those supported by legacy DNS name server infrastructures.

".INFO is the most sought-after and successful new gTLD, and offers a truly global alternative to .COM," said Ben Petro, president and CEO of UltraDNS. "Leveraging UltraDNS' carrier-class DNS service, Afilias' TLDs, including .INFO, will now be able to provide customers with a bulletproof directory services infrastructure for deploying next-generation applications and services while ensuring reliability, security and 100 percent uptime."

Afilias has integrated UltraDNS' managed DNS into its package of registry services, providing a complete and flexible solution to manage any size TLD. Afilias' integration of UltraDNS' managed DNS will also ensure that those organizations that register and use .INFO extensions will be able to get their online presence up and globally resolvable within minutes of registration.

About Afilias

Afilias, a fully integrated global provider of domain name registry services, maintains international headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, a sales office in London, sales and operational facilities in Toronto, and administrative offices in the U.S. near Philadelphia, PA. Afilias provides a full range of registry services leveraging proven technology that is fast, reliable and secure. Afilias was formed in September of 2000 and was the first new gTLD operator selected by ICANN in November of 2000 to launch a new registry system using a thick registry model based on the new EPP (extensible provisioning protocol) standard. For more information please visit www.afilias.info

About UltraDNS

Based in San Mateo, Calif., UltraDNS Corporation is the leading Directory Infrastructure Services Provider (DISP), delivering solutions that enhance the reliability and performance of the world's largest directories and the mission-critical applications that access them. UltraDNS offers highly scalable solutions -- both as a managed services provider and as a developer of custom infrastructure solutions -- built on its unique Directory Services Platform and proprietary, patented technologies. The company operates its own global, fail-safe server network, which supports the UltraDNS Managed DNS Service, the industry's first 100 percent reliable Domain Name System (DNS) name/IP address resolution service, backed by a full service level (SLA) guarantee. UltraDNS infrastructure services, such as Managed DNS, address the growing need for quick, reliable response to directory queries in today's converging Internet/telecom environment. By connecting a user's information request to the proper directory and assuring a quick, accurate response, UltraDNS plays a key enabling role in delivering content, information and data to users when, where and on whatever device they choose. The company was founded in 1999 and is funded by Reuters Group PLC, Vantage Point Venture Partners, New Enterprise Associates, and Comdisco. Customers include Oracle, MSN Hotmail, Forbes.com, Handspring, Corio, and Petco. For more information visit www.ultradns.com

Note to Editors: UltraDNS and UltraDNS logo is a registered trademark of UltraDNS Corporation. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective holders.