NZ Web addresses tipped to top 50,000.

THE number of New Zealand Web addresses is expected to top 50,000 by April, after a 34 per cent leap in the last six months. Domain names registered in the ".nz" space leapt 81 per cent to reach 28,904 by March 31. That number has since grown to 38,800 with no signs of the momentum slipping. Domainz, the organisation which has managed the ".nz" domain name space since 1996, reaped its first net profit of $451,007 in the year to March 31 thanks to buoyant demand for ".nz" addresses. Revenues jumped 74 per cent to $1.91 million, while costs edged up to $1.22 million from $1.12 million in 1997-98, when Domainz posted a $21,684 loss. Chief executive Patrick O_Brien says last year_s profit will be ploughed back into Internet development. It is almost enough to cover the $500,000 cost of redeveloping the computer systems that manage the ".nz" Internet registry - a project embarked on by Domainz earlier this year. New Zealand has the third highest number of country code domains per capita, Mr O_Brien says, behind Denmark and Switzerland. Australia, with five times the population of New Zealand, has only three times as many domains. The number of ".au" domains recently topped 100,000. Many companies not active in New Zealand are registering ".nz" domains and registering in other countries as well to protect their cyber-identities. For the same reason, both New Zealand and overseas domain name holders are also registering several domains with similar names, he says. Domainz_s ability to turn a sizable profit is good news for its sole shareholder, the New Zealand Internet Society (IsocNZ), which will receive substantial additional funding from next year, after investment in the new systems. Wellington e-commerce company Glazier Systems is redesigning Domainz_s systems, to create "an industrial-strength Internet", and to make it easier for Web registrars to administer their domains. Mr O_Brien expects IsocNZ will need more funds to cover the growing cost of maintaining New Zealand_s representation in international Internet industry forums such as Icann. Mr O_Brien says Domainz_s charge of around $60 for registering a domain name compares favourably with charges overseas. Virtually all domain name registrations are turned around in one day. Australia charges slightly more than $60 for a three-day service, while its two-hour registration service costs around $300.