What is a Domain Name?
Domain names are the familiar, easy to remember names for computers on the Internet (such as synaxis.co.nz or synaxis.com). They correspond to a series of numbers (called Internet Protocol addresses or IP addresses) that serve like telephone numbers on the Internet.

Having your own domain name allows you to have your own designated web site address (i.e. www.synaxis.co.nz is a better web site address to have than www.xtra.co.nz/synaxis) and depending on your email setup, a domain name allows you to have similar email addresses (eg mark.sugden@synaxis.co.nz or info@synaxis.co.nz).

Finding an Appropriate Domain Name
When developing a domain name, the following rules apply;
- All letters, numbers and the hyphen character can be used in domain names
- Other punctuation characters cannot be used (including the underscore “_” and exclamation mark “!”)
- Spaces cannot be used
- You cannot start or end your domain name with a hyphen

98% of the English language has already been registered as a domain name (and much of the remaining 2% includes unusable words such as “and” or “it”). You may also be surprised to find out how many made-up names have also been registered. The hardest part of your domain name search may well be finding a domain name that is available – particularly if you require a “.com” domain name. New Zealand domain names (i.e. “.co.nz”) are more likely to be available, but are more difficult to obtain.

As the supply of domain names has decreased, the resale value of domain names has increased correspondingly. So called “cyber squatters” have attempted to capitalise on the domain name frenzy by registering established trademarks. But if the name you really want is taken, there are certain actions available to you. For instance, you may be able to contact the domain name owner and decide on a price between you if they are willing to part with the name. However, many domain names are owned by domain name brokers and as you may have heard, the asking prices for popular names are hardly realistic (the price for “consultants.com” is currently US $1 million). On the positive side, many domain names are now starting to expire as their owners are failing to renew them.

If you are still out of luck, you may want to consider options such as changing the spelling of your name, or merging two established words to create one word with a joint meaning. A recent example of this occurred when Andersen Consulting re-branded itself as “Accenture”. To secure an appropriate domain name, Andersen created a new word - the resulting “Accenture” means “accent on the future”.

Registering Your Domain Name
Once you have found an appropriate name, it is time to register it. Synaxis or your ISP can assist. These companies will ask for a registration fee which is payable to Domainz or INTERnic..

It is particularly important not to use any domain registry service that wants you to register your domain name for a period longer than two years (see next article “Domain Name Renewal – Avoid Being Duped”). In two years, you will automatically receive notification from INTERnic and will have plenty of opportunity to renew your domain name.

Domain Name Delegation
After you have registered your domain name, you need to have it “delegated” to wherever your email and/or Internet site is located. This involves specifying the IP address of your mail and web server, or your ISP if your email is externally hosted. This process is complex and is best performed by an IT specialist. If required, Synaxis can manage the entire process for you.

If you require further information about domain name registration or delegation, please do not hesitate to call a client service officer on 09 833 7003.