VeriSign adds servers to handle Net traffic boom

VeriSign, the company that operates the .com and .net domain names, plans to add more regional resolution servers to its existing constellation to keep up with growing Internet traffic, it said Wednesday.

The company already operates 18 Internet servers around the world and handles over 14.5 billion queries a day, it said.

But due to sharp increases in global Internet traffic, which doubles every 12 to 18 months, VeriSign said it plans to invest in additional servers over the next two years.

The Mountain View, California, company identified geographical growth regions where it wants to bolster support: Brazil, Argentina, Australia, Africa, the Middle East, India, and Eastern and Central Europe. It said that it has developed plans to install and operate additional servers to enhance performance in these regions, although it did not specify the amount it intends to invest.

The move to strengthen its infrastructure comes as the company is bidding to renew its .net contract, which expires on June 30. VeriSign faces four challengers for .net, but a recent report from an independent evaluator put its proposal in the lead based on factors such as stability and technical competence. However, Sentan Registry Services is nipping at VeriSign’s heels for the contract, having scored just under VeriSign in the evaluator’s report.

Plans to further shore up its server constellation could be seen as a further effort to grasp the .net prize. VeriSign said that the additional servers will improve the performance, connection speed and stability of the system for Internet users.

Currently, there are around 900 million Internet users worldwide, with 269 million located in Europe, 242 million in North America, 246 million in Asia, and 58 million in Latin America, according to VeriSign.