Johannesburg — INTERNET Solutions has become the only network service provider in Africa with the power to register domains directly with the international body that oversees the allocation of internet addresses around the world.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann) manages all the addresses globally and ensures that the domain name system turns the addresses typed into a browser into the series of numbers known as internet protocol addresses.

That lets people remember a website name instead of its technical address, and makes sure that their computers can find it.

A company's domain name is part of its brand and identity, so the need to register the addresses is crucial. Many companies register multiple domains to cover all their products or to prevent cybersquatters registering those names instead, said Internet Solutions' access solutions manager, Mark Strathmore.

Companies or individuals wanting to register several domains often had to do that through several intermediaries, depending on which suffix they wanted on the address.

Now they could register all their addresses more quickly and easily as Internet Solutions had direct recognition by Icann, Strathmore said.