{{Short description|American domain name registrar}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2016}} {{Infobox website | name = Register.com | logo = Register.com – Don't just make a website, make an impact. | type = Subsidiary of Web.com | founded = {{Start date and age|1994}} | location = Jacksonville, FL, US | key_people = Larry Kutscher, CEO and President | industry = Domain name registrar | products = Web services | parent = Web.com | homepage = {{URL|https://www.register.com/}} }}
'''Register.com''' is an American domain name registrar founded in 1994.
==History== The company was founded in 1994 as Forman Interactive Corp by brothers Peter and Richard Forman and their brother-in-law, Dan B. Levine as a provider of website creation software.<ref name=money>{{cite news | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB995040285568320391 | title=The Money Maker | first=Julia | last=Angwin | author-link=Julia Angwin | work=The Wall Street Journal | date=July 16, 2001 | url-access=subscription}}</ref> In 1999, the company officially changed its name to Register.com.
On April 21, 1999, ICANN announced Register.com was one of the first five testbed registrars for the competitive Shared Registry System. On June 7, the company began operations under this name as a paid registrar in the .com, .net, and .org domains and soon became the first of the five testbed registrars to come online. It was initially selling 3,000 to 4,000 domain names per day.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB922915943393069875 | title=Register.Com Aims to Market Internet Addresses to Everyone | first=Thomas E. | last=Weber | work=The Wall Street Journal | date=April 1, 1999 | url-access=subscription}}</ref>
In March 2000, at the peak of the dot-com bubble, the company became a public company via an initial public offering.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB95209230443096094 | title=Register.com, UTStarcom Rise in Busy Day for IPOs | work=The Wall Street Journal | date=March 3, 2000 | url-access=subscription}}</ref> The stock price peaked at $116 per share; 1 year later the stock traded at $5 per share.<ref name=money/>
In September 2000, the company acquired Afternic.com for $48.6 million in cash and stock.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB969029476473251762 | title=Register.com to Buy Afternic.com For $48.6 Million in Cash and Stock | work=The Wall Street Journal | date=September 15, 2000 | url-access=subscription}}</ref>
In 2003, Richard D. Forman resigned from his positions as president and chief executive officer.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB105641801444446300 | title=Register.com CEO Resigns | work=The Wall Street Journal | date=June 24, 2003 | url-access=subscription}}</ref>
In November 2005, Register.com was acquired by Vector Capital for $200 million.<ref>{{cite press release | url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20051107005156/en/Vector-Capital-Completes-200-Million-Take-Private-Buyout | title=Vector Capital Completes $200 Million Take-Private Buyout of Register.com; Private Equity Firm to Help Register.com Expand Online Services Offered to Small Businesses | publisher=Business Wire | date=November 7, 2005}}</ref>
In 2005, it became the first online services company to receive the J.D. Power Call Center Certification.<ref>{{cite press release | url=https://www.register.com//about/pressrelease_jdpa.rcmx | title=Register.com First in Online Services Industry to Receive J.D. Power and Associates Call Center Certification | publisher=Business Wire | date=June 21, 2005}}</ref> Register.com received this recognition again in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.
Vector Capital brought in David Moore, a principal at the private equity firm Sonostar, as an interim CEO.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB112388876456812226 | title=Bidding for Register.com | first=Eric J. | last=Savitz | work=The Wall Street Journal | date=August 15, 2005 | url-access=subscription}}</ref>
In November 2006, Larry Kutscher joined Register.com as chief executive officer. Kutscher came to Register.com from Dun & Bradstreet where he served as Senior Vice President and general manager of the Small Business Group.<ref>{{cite news | last=Fung | first=Amanda | url=https://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20061101/FREE/61101010/register-com-names-chief-executive | title=Register.com names chief executive | work=Crain Communications | date=November 1, 2006}}</ref>
In June 2010, Web.com acquired the company for $135 million.<ref>{{cite press release | url=https://www.web.com/about-us/press-releases/webcom-announces-agreement-acquire-registercom | title=Web.com Announces Agreement to Acquire Register.com | publisher=Web.com | date=June 17, 2010}}</ref> In June 2018, Web.com was acquired by Siris Capital Group.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Web.com Announces Agreement to be Acquired by an Affiliate of Siris Capital Group, LLC for $25.00 per share in All Cash Deal Valued at Approximately $2 Billion |url=https://siris.com/news/web-com-announces-agreement-to-be-acquired-by-an-affiliate-of-siris-capital-group-llc-for-25-00-per-share-in-all-cash-deal-valued-at-approximately-2-billion |access-date=2025-05-10 |website=www.siris.com}}</ref> In February 2021, Siris and Clearlake Capital Group merged Web.com with Clearlake's Endurance International Group to form a new company, Newfold Digital. As a result of this merger, Register.com became one of the brands under the Newfold Digital portfolio.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-05-09 |title=Register.com Review: Pros & Cons + Expert Opinion |url=https://hostdean.com/provider/register-com/ |access-date=2025-05-10 |website=HostDean |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=CLEARLAKE COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF ENDURANCE INTERNATIONAL GROUP AND STRATEGIC INVESTMENT TRANSACTIONS WITH WEB.COM AND AFFILIATES OF SIRIS; ANNOUNCES FORMATION OF NEWFOLD DIGITAL – Clearlake Capital |url=https://clearlake.com/clearlake-completes-acquisition-of-endurance-international-group-and-strategic-investment-transactions-with-web-com-and-affiliates-of-siris-announces-formation-of-newfold-digital/ |access-date=2025-05-10 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Brands |url=https://www.newfold.com/brands |access-date=2025-05-10 |website=www.newfold.com |language=en}}</ref>
In June 2025, Register.com announced that it would merge with Network Solutions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Register.com is Becoming Network Solutions |url=https://www.register.com/blog/resources/registerdotcom-becomes-network-solutions |access-date=2025-06-24 |website=www.register.com |language=en}}</ref> As part of the integration, the Register.com brand is being consolidated into Network Solutions, with customer accounts scheduled to be migrated to the Network Solutions platform.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-06-24 |title=Register.com is Becoming Network Solutions: A Strategic Move by Newfold Digital |url=https://hostdean.com/news/register-com-becoming-network-solutions/ |access-date=2025-06-24 |website=HostDean |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Controversies and consumer issues== On April 1, 2009, Register.com suffered a major DDoS attack, downing thousands of websites. Customers were not able to access the website or receive email for 3 days.<ref>{{Cite news | url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2009/04/web_sites_disrupted_by_attack.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120627104020/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2009/04/web_sites_disrupted_by_attack.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=June 27, 2012 | title=Web Sites Disrupted By Attack on Register.com | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=April 7, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://www.wired.com/2009/04/registerdotcom-is-having-a-rough-week/ | title=Register.com Victimized by DDoS Attack | first=MICHAEL | last=CALORE | magazine=Wired | date=April 3, 2009}}</ref>
In January 2010, the Chinese search engine Baidu sued Register.com for gross negligence after an employee allegedly allowed third party access to Baidu's account despite them failing to pass basic security verification, allowing for a Domain hijacking of the Baidu website by the Iranian Cyber Army.<ref>{{cite news | last=Back | first=Aaron | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703837004575013742840069602 | title=Baidu Sues Register.com, Alleges Negligence in Hacking Attack | work=The Wall Street Journal |date=January 19, 2010 | url-access=subscription}}</ref>
==See also== * ''Register.com v. Verio''
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Official website|https://www.register.com/}}
{{WebManTools}}
{{Dot-com Bubble}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Register.Com}} Category:2000 initial public offerings Category:2010 mergers and acquisitions Category:Domain name registrars Category:Dot-com bubble Category:Internet properties established in 1994 Category:Organizations based in Jacksonville, Florida Category:Web.com Category:Web hosting