[registrars] REALNAMES - stopping service 30th June.

["Paul M. Kane" <Paul.Kane@REACTO.com>]

Registrars' may be intersted in this:

http://digitalmass.boston.com/news/wire_story.html?uri=/dailynews/133/economy/Alternative_naming_system_for_:.shtml

NEW YORK (AP) RealNames Corp. is shutting its alternative naming
system for the Internet after Microsoft Corp.decided to stop
incorporating the system in its Internet Explorer
browsers.

The decision means that users who had reached certain Web sites
through shortcuts from RealNames would need to type in the full
address or use a search engine. Users who had typed in Chinese or
Japanese addresses may find their sites unreachable.

The shutdown takes effect June 30, when the current partnership
between RealNames and Microsoft ends. RealNames laid off its 83
employees Friday, though some will serve as consultants during the
transition.

Although the RealNames system was designed independent of any
specific browser, it needed a major platform like the Microsoft browser
to make it possible for users to recognize keywords.
Normally, to reach the Web site for Eastman Kodak Co., users would
type in www.kodak.com in the address field of their browsers.
RealNames allowed users of Internet Explorer to reach the site simply
by typing ''Kodak.''

Critics have questioned the proprietary nature of the RealNames
system, which essentially runs on top of the Internet's existing domain
name system built on open standards.

Plus, many browsers now incorporate search functions, so that typing
''Kodak'' into other browsers would also get Kodak's site. After
RealNames shuts down, Microsoft will simply have those keywords
go to a search engine as well.

The biggest impact may be on non-English users who had relied on
RealNames to link foreign language keywords with Web addresses
that use English characters understood by the Internet domain name
system.

VeriSign Inc., which has been offering foreign names ending in ''.com,''
''.net'' and ''.org,'' now must find another company to fill the void.
VeriSign spokeswoman Cheryl Regan said the company was exploring its
options.
RealNames and Microsoft disputed the reasons for the shutdown.
RealNames founder Keith Teare blamed it on Microsoft wanting more
control over the searching process.
Microsoft spokesman Matt Pilla said the system created some user
confusion someone typing ''San Francisco realtor'' got a site on loans,
not a broker.