Net getting even more personal

By ADAM GIFFORD

Fancy an email address that will stay with you for the rest of your life? That's pretty much what the internet is increasingly capable of serving up.

Personal domain names and email addresses are still in their infancy, but are becoming more widespread as the internet becomes a more valued part of people's lives.

Robert Wiles, the chief executive of Wellington personal domain specialist Pdom.com, said that although his company's growth was slower than expected, people were starting to recognise the value of sticking with the same email address - long-term.

"Where there are incumbent services like access to free email at work or from places like Hotmail, it takes time to build a new business," Wiles said.

The traditional free email providers are increasingly trying to push customers to pay for extra services, and people signing up now are likely to find the simpler versions of their name - johnsmith@hotmail.com - have gone.

"I have no doubt that within the next decade people will have personal websites," Wiles said.

"That means they need to buy a domain. People like us need to create the tools to allow people to create their web identity."

He said the applications which were likely to drive people towards their own web presence were new communications tools such as the voice over internet protocol (VOIP) and streaming video.

"VOIP will happen and the momentum will require people to have access to the technology.

"Commentators also believe that in future, all homes will have a home server to manage the TV, the video streaming, the internet, home security and so on.

"There is a distinct overlap between those things and the idea of a personal website you can access from anywhere in the world."

He said Pdom's most popular offering was Net ID, which includes a domain and email POP account for US$29 ($52) a year.

Many families, particularly from Asia, are buying domain names and then hanging several POP accounts off it.

They can then open their mail through a web interface or use a standard email client when they dial in to their normal ISP.

Freeparking.co.nz chief executive Richard Shearer said about a third of Freeparking accounts wanted only email.

"Customers like it because they can set up email addresses for various members of their family or business. We also offer free spam and virus scanning," he said.

The personal domain name was still a hard sell to people who had not experienced the problems of moving email address between jobs or ISPs.

"There are still people getting their first email address today.

"However, we are seeing more people who understand the value of email as a tool and don't want to trust Hotmail or an ISP account with what is a key communication channel.

"It doesn't look that professional to have joesmowers@xtra.co.nz - info@joesmowers.co.nz looks better."

Pdom.com

Freeparking.co.nz