Dot-CC Top Level Domain Gaining Global Acceptance; SamsDirect Internet Predicts That Dot-CC Will Out-Number .Net and .Org Registrations Within 12 Months

Business Wire, March 21, 2001

Business Editors & Internet Writers

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 21, 2001

When the Dot-CC (.cc) top-level domain was added to the Network Solutions site this week (Nasdaq:VRSN) David and Renee Sams, co-chairs of SamsDirect Internet, were happy campers.

The e-couple heads up SamsDirect Internet, the Beverly Hills-based domain name marketing company responsible for selling some 100,000 Dot-CC domain names over the past year via several domain registration sites including www.spot.cc and www.uno.cc. David and Renee are specialists in "branding" domain suffixes and giving them a "personality."

Most recently they launched www.dot.mu, the global MUsic domain(TM), and www.hot.mu, the bikini-clad sister registration site targeting a young college demographic. The company also consults the .TV Corporation, worldwide registry for the www.tv domain.

Stated David Sams, "We long ago believed in Dot-CC and the domain's capabilities. We applaud Verisign and its Network Solutions organization for recognizing the collective efforts made to make the domain a household suffix."

SamsDirect originally entered into a contract with GreatDomains.com early last year to add Dot-CC to its site in the main search engine as well as in a number of other featured areas. This landmark move was the first time that a major domain name reseller site acknowledged the real value of a domain other than dot-com, dot-net or dot-org.

"We convinced Great Domains that Dot-CC was going to be one of the top players on the Internet, and they soon agreed," stated Sams. GreatDomains.com is now a Verisign company.

Since the debut of Dot-CC, some 400,000 domains have been sold. Through SamsDirect's instant Web site builder at www.Zip123.com, thousands of people are now building their personal and business Dot-CC Web sites and having them hosted for less than ten dollars a month. Sams predicts that millions of additional Dot-CC domains will be sold over the next year or two, now that Network Solutions has added the ability to register a Dot-CC name to its site.

"It's a homerun, a grand slam -- as far as I'm concerned. This is a win-win for all of us who've shared the vision of Brian Cartmell, the entrepreneur who originally secured the rights to Dot-CC. Plus, our company owns hundreds of premium domains that will now be considered prime beachfront property" (those domains are available to view at http://spot.cc/treasure.chest/).

In addition to selling domain names, the Sams' also produce television programming for the networks and tv syndication. They have won 9 Emmys(R), and many advertising awards (including Infomercial Of The Year). David Sams helped to turn "WHEEL OF FORTUNE," "JEOPARDY!," and "OPRAH" into household names in the 80s, as head of marketing for King World Productions. "It's all about marketing," stated Sams. "Whatever you are selling, you've got to make the public want to buy it -- it's as simple as that."