31 October 2005

The new.eu domain is set to be as, if not more, successful than .com, according to a new survey.

Almost two-thirds of businesses surveyed believe customers will eventually use .eu in their online searches for Europe-based companies, instead of .com.

The new domain has been created for people and organisations within the European Community, which equals to around 25 countries and 450 million people.

It has been developed to help companies develop a pan-Europe as well as country-specific identity.

A separate survey by the same researchers found that around 70 per cent of Internet browsers associated .com addresses with American content.

It is hoped the new.eu domain will help further distinguish web content.

The survey was conducted by web hosting company, Hostway, who questioned 200 of their customers.

Despite the appeal of the new .eu domain, customers are being warned to avoid being ripped off unofficial suppliers.

"This is a great opportunity for people to establish their presence as a pan-European entity, but as with any transaction online, people need to make sure that the supplier on the other end is authentic," said Paul Halfpenny, product manager at Hostway.

The formal start for .eu registration is planned to begin around December 7th.

© Adfero Ltd

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