Conexys SA, the wholly owned local subsidiary of Canadian-based Conexys Corporation Ltd, today announced that it has signed a joint venture (JV) agreement with InTheNet Technologies, a Johannesburg-based Internet solutions company offering a full range of web development and online marketing services. Under terms of the agreement, Conexys has developed, on behalf of InTheNet, a Keyword Registration website, designating the company as an official keyword registrar-now positioned to offer the keyword product to existing and potential customers within South Africa.
Organisations wishing to deploy keyword technology must first register with RealNames Corporation, the California-based global infrastructure provider of keywords, as a limited number of licenses are available for issue by the corporation. Interested parties may begin InTheNet`s keyword registration process at http://keywords.itnt.co.za/
Dubbed as the `next standard` in web addressing, keywords are domain names that consist of related words linked to an organisation`s line of business/specific product offerings-whether they are brand, product, or personal names. For example, if one is searching for InTheNet, instead of typing www.itnt.co.za, the URL/web address is replaced with a simple word such as `inthenet` or `inthenet web design` to link directly to the company`s homepage or any specific page required, which enhances the organisation`s sales and marketing goals.
Moreover, once the keywords have been officially designated, they provide a means of `internationalising` an organisation`s domain name from day one, helping to solidify and protect its branding position. In the South African market, keywords will support all eleven local languages, and the product has received acknowledgement from all major manufacturers and media players as the industry standard navigational platform. Moreover, keywords is the only web addressing system that works across all languages and character sets, as well as across all types of Internet-enabled devices, including web-enabled mobile phones, desktop computers, and PDA`s.
Conexys Managing Director Andrew Hill stated: "Through this agreement, we are expanding our service offering into one that we believe will be increasingly demanded by organisations wishing to leverage and strengthen their branding potential via the Internet. Keyword functionality enhances branding while providing the customer with a much simpler, direct link to information they are seeking."
In terms of the propagation of keyword technology on a worldwide basis, almost one million keywords have been registered, averaging 100 million keyword resolutions per month. This has made a lasting impact on direct navigation through the browser, seeing an increase from 20% of all referrals in 1999 to nearly 60% today*.
Factors motivating organizations to utilize keyword technology include: one-click access; the use of `natural` language to navigate users directly to specific website content; protection of subscribers` online brands and identities against `cyber-squatting` as well as the fact that keywords can be subscribed in any language and character set.
InTheNet`s Managing Director Gordon Colyn stated: "We are confident that this joint venture agreement will significantly enhance our product offering and strengthen our own brand in the process. We are delighted to partner with Conexys, whom we believe offers the best end-to-end solution as well as sharing our ethical and business philosophies when it comes to creating value for customers."
*Statmarket, a division of WebSideStory
**Direct navigation through the browser includes keywords, bookmarks and typed URL`s
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