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In a move that creates an Internet name tag team, RealNames has signed a deal with VeriSign, which will resell registrations in RealNames Keywords navigation system through its network of 90 domain name registrar partners.
The agreement is significant for RealNames, which now gains access to a large channel for its alternative navigation system. For VeriSign, operator of the Internets dot-com, dot-net and dot-org registries, the deal is evidence of its desire to capture a piece of all Internet addressing schemes.
“VeriSign and RealNames will undoubtedly continue to innovate by making navigation simpler and identities more powerful,” RealNames CEO Keith Teare said in a prepared statement.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. VeriSign holds a 10 percent stake in RealNames, which is privately held.
RealNames Keywords are words or phrases that a customer maps to a specific URL. The RealNames system is integrated into Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 and later versions.
VeriSign plans to allow its registrars to offer RealNames Keywords through their current online systems by the end of the year. RealNames lists a suggested retail price of $49 per year for basic Keywords registration.