Denic Ensures 24×7 Registrar Support Services for .net by Teaming with Tucows

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February 4, 2005

DENIC selects Tucows as exclusive partner for complementary North American registrar support, should the German registry be appointed the next .net registry by ICANN next month

FRANKFURT, February 4, 2005 – Tucows Inc. (OTCBB: TCOW) Internet domain registry DENIC eG, of Germany, today announced that it has joined with Canadian-based Internet services firm Tucows Inc. to ensure 24X7 support services for the .net registry, should DENIC be awarded the .net registry business by ICANN at the end of March. DENIC has selected Tucows as its exclusive provider of complementary .net registrar support services for the North American market. According to the Letter of Intent signed by both companies, Tucows plans to operate an English-language support facility in Toronto; while DENIC continues to manage its English/German-language support center in Frankfurt. Together, the two companies plan to provide round-the-clock support for .net registrars. Last month, DENIC submitted its proposal to ICANN to take over administration of the important .net Top Level Domain (TLD), which is currently up for competitive bid.

“We are pleased to have found in Tucows a partner with long-standing experience providing domain registration support services of the highest quality, and with whom we already have a close working relationship through our .de registry business,” said Sabine Dolderer, Director and Executive Board Member at DENIC. “Tucows’ experience, reliability and excellent track record match with our own high standards and will ensure that DENIC’s helpdesk services for .net will be reliably extended, will be available to all .net registrars in all time zones, and will remain best-in-class.”

“Tucows believes that the registry awarded the .net contract must maintain technical stability and ensure efficient management of this important namespace,” said Elliot Noss, President and Chief Executive Officer, Tucows Inc. “We are delighted to support DENIC in their bid as they have demonstrated experience in operating a registry beyond the scale of .net and have also demonstrated a commitment to good stewardship and an alignment of their registry interests with the good of the Internet community. By adding our support services to their established systems, together, we can provide excellent support for the .net registry.”

Tucows provides a number of wholesale Internet services and back office solutions – among them, domain name registrations and management services. As part of its agreement with DENIC, and per the signed Letter of Intent, Tucows has agreed to put systems and processes in place to ensure .net operations data is not available to Tucows employees whose primary responsibilities are aligned with the company’s registrar business. In addition, Tucows has agreed to adopt a ‘Conflict of Interest’ policy that is in compliance with the ‘Code of Conduct’ and other applicable registry provisions for .net at ICANN. The agreement also stipulates that Tucows, in its role as a provider of .net support services, would give equal treatment to all registrars.

On January 18, 2005, DENIC submitted a proposal to ICANN to take over management of the .net TLD. It is one of five registries vying to become the next .net registry operator, and DENIC believes it holds a strong and unique position to win the bid. In its proposal, DENIC highlighted its proven and stable technical services, its sound and transparent business model, its not-for-profit status, and its commitment to the needs of the international Internet community as key reasons why DENIC is a stand-out choice to be selected the next .net registry. The addition of Tucows as DENIC’s North American registrar support partner further strengthens DENIC’s position. ICANN is expected to make its decision on March 31, 2005.

For more information about DENIC and its recently-submitted proposal, please go to http://www.denic.net.

About DENIC

Established in 1994, and organized as not-for-profit cooperative since 1996, DENIC is the registry operator in Germany for .de domains. With more than eight million domains currently registered, .de has grown to become the world’s largest Country Code TLD (ccTLD), and the world’s second largest TLD after .com. DENIC is based in Frankfurt, Germany.

About Tucows

Tucows Inc. is a leading provider of wholesale Internet services and back office solutions to a global network of more than 6,000 web hosting companies, ISPs and other service providers. As the largest ICANN-accredited wholesale domain name registrar, Tucows offers a suite of complementary Internet services including: domain name registration and management, digital certificates, email services and web publishing services. Tucows back office products, including the Platypus Billing System and customer relationship management solutions, enable service providers to automate and enhance their service offerings. Tucows also distributes software and other digital content through its global network of affiliates offering more than 40,000 software titles. For more information, please visit: www.tucowsinc.com.