LONDON (Alliance News) - Minds + Machines Group Ltd Wednesday said it has chosen two partners to help the company expand and break into the market in China.
The owner and operator of Internet top-level domains said it has appointed Chinese firm ZDNS as its local infrastructure partner and Allegravita LLC to advise the company on its market entry strategy.
ZDNS is China's leading registry backend service provider, according to Minds + Machines, and currently enables over 40 top-level domains, including .xyz, .top, .wang, .club.
Allegravita is a marketing company focused on introducing registry businesses into China. Minds + Machines said Allegravita has assisted 15 companies in entering China, including market-leaders such as .CLUB Domains, Neustar, ICM, Radix and Rightside.
Minds + Machines said management will visit China next month and the company plans to make its first domain sales in China before the end of the first quarter of 2016.
The first domains to be made available will be .beer, .fashion, .fit, .law, .wedding, .work and .yoga. Minds + Machines then plans to offer .VIP in the second quarter of 2016, it said.
"Following extensive consumer focus-group testing of our portfolio, it is clear we have a group of top-level domains that resonate exceptionally well with Chinese audiences. Through our strategy of partnering with proven in-country industry leaders, we believe we are well-placed to enter this fast-growing market in a highly effective manner," said David Weill, non-executive director of the company.
Minds + Machines shares were up 5.6% to 7.39 pence per share on Wednesday morning.
By Joshua Warner; joshuawarner@alliancenews.com; @JoshAlliance
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