News

Number of Internet Domain Names Continues to Grow, Reaching 184 Million

Mountain View – September 21, 2009 – Domain names continue to show growth across the Internet, according to the second quarter 2009 Domain Name Industry Brief published by VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN), the trusted provider of Internet infrastructure services for the networked world.

The second quarter of 2009 ended with a total base of 184 million domain name registrations across all of the Top Level Domains (TLDs). This represents a one percent increase over the first quarter of 2009 and growth of nine percent over the same quarter of last year.

During the second quarter, Country Code TLDs (ccTLDs) rose by 14 percent year over year to 74.4 million domain names – a total that represents a one percent rise from the first quarter of 2009. The base of ccTLDs domain names was impacted by a loss in base for .cn and .eu. In terms of total registrations, .com remains the most popular TLD category, followed by .cn (China), .de (Germany) and .net. This mix remains unchanged from last quarter.

The overall base of .com and .net domain names grew to 93.5 million domain names during the second quarter of 2009. This represents a one percent increase over the first quarter of 2009, a seven percent increase over the same quarter of the previous year, and a 28 percent increase over the second quarter of 2007.

VeriSign’s average daily Domain Name System (DNS) query load during the second quarter increased from 38 billion to 49 billion per day, resulting in hundreds of millions of Internet users accessing Web sites or sending email. This is a 29 percent increase from the 38 billion daily queries average in first quarter 2009. Managing the increasing traffic on the Internet reflects VeriSign’s continued investments in its DNS infrastructure, which have enabled the company to maintain a record 100 percent uptime of its network over the past 11 years. That track record has earned VeriSign the reputation of being one of the most reliable and trusted networks in the world.

VeriSign publishes the Domain Name Industry Brief to provide Internet users throughout the world with significant statistical and analytical research and data on the domain name industry and the Internet as a whole. Copies of the 2009 second quarter Domain Name Industry Brief, as well as previous reports, can be obtained at www.verisign.com/domainbrief.

About VeriSign

VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN) is the trusted provider of Internet infrastructure services for the networked world. Billions of times each day, VeriSign helps companies and consumers all over the world engage in communications and commerce with confidence. Additional news and information about the company is available at www.verisign.com.

VRSNF Statements in this announcement other than historical data and information constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as amended. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause VeriSign's actual results to differ materially from those stated or implied by such forward-looking statements. The potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, the uncertainty of future revenue and profitability and potential fluctuations in quarterly operating results due to such factors as increasing competition and pricing pressure from competing services offered at prices below our prices, market acceptance of our existing services and the current global economic downturn, the inability of VeriSign to successfully develop and market new services, the uncertainty of whether new services as provided by VeriSign will achieve market acceptance or result in any revenues, the risk that planned divestitures of certain businesses may be delayed or pending dispositions may not be completed, may generate less proceeds than expected or may incur unanticipated costs or otherwise negatively affect VeriSign's financial condition, results of operations or cash flows, and the uncertainty of whether Project Titan will achieve its stated objectives. More information about potential factors that could affect the company's business and financial results is included in VeriSign's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. VeriSign undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release.

Contacts

Media Relations:
Victoria Henry, vhenry@verisign.com, + 44 (0) 7920 598 016

Weber Shandwick for VeriSign:
Lydia Curtis, Lcurtis@webershandwick.com, +44 (0)207 067 0513

Investor Relations:
Nancy Fazioli, nfazioli@verisign.com, +1 650-426-5146