Microsoft, Avon and Radiohead Among the Finalists for 2011 UK.COM Awards

LONDON, February 8, 2011 - Global leaders Microsoft, Avon, and Radiohead are among the finalists
chosen for the 2011 UK.COM Awards (www.uk.com). The Awards, which
recognize websites using domain names with the ending .UK.COM, also
acknowledged well-known British-based companies including Pineapple Dance
Studios, the Michelin starred restaurant Sketch, and live music venue Koko.

The 24 finalists in four categories represent some of the most inventive
business and creative endeavours that 2011 had to offer. The overall winner
will be revealed at the end of the month, receiving a GBP5000 prize for
either the business or the business's charity of choice.

An elite panel of technology, media and entertainment experts will judge
the finalists, including TV Presenter and Internet Entrepreneur, Sarah Beeny,
MyVoucherCodes Founder, Mark Pearson, BBC Click's website guru, Kate Russell,
and Managing Editor of Vitesse Media, Nick Britton.

Ben Crawford, CEO of CentralNic, a London-based domain name registry and
parent company of UK.COM, said: "We are delighted that such esteemed
organizations have selected UK.COM domain names as the web addresses for
their smartest ideas and most creative executions. Judging from the quality
of the applicants, it seems more likely than ever that the facebooks and
twitters of the future may be germinating right here in the UK."

    The finalists are:

    Best business idea using a UK.COM domain

    Avon for www.avon.uk.com
    Barking Mad for www.barkingmad.uk.com
    DS Smith Plc for www.dssmith.uk.com
    Made for www.made.uk.com
    Sandbag for www.sandbag.uk.com
    Tea Party for www.teaparty.uk.com

    Best creative idea using a UK.COM domain

    Art 2 Art UK for www.art2art.uk.com
    Chris Weston Wildlife Photography for www.chrisweston.uk.com
    Live and Unsigned for www.liveandunsigned.uk.com
    Microsoft for www.lifeacademy.uk.com
    More Than Words for www.morethanwords.uk.com
    Pineapple Dance Studios for www.pineapple.uk.com

    Best design, content, functionality of a business website using a UK.COM
    domain

    &Co The Cultural Marketing House for www.andco.uk.com
    Kick Fitness and Lifestyle for www.kick.uk.com
    Resource Media for www.resource.uk.com
    Sketch for www.sketch.uk.com
    Suck UK for www.suck.uk.com
    UniForm for www.uniform.uk.com

    Best design, content, functionality of a creative website using a UK.COM
    Domain

    Koko for www.koko.uk.com
    Orchestral Manouevres In The Dark for www.omd.uk.com
    Radiohead for its official merchandise site www.waste.uk.com
    Spooky for www.spooky.uk.com
    Troika Art Studio for www.troika.uk.com
    We Love Design for www.welovedesign.uk.com

About UK.COM

Launched fifteen years ago, .UK.COM domains (www.uk.com) are
continually gaining in popularity as they offer the desirable .COM ending
combined with the national identifier, UK. Currently sold through over 1500
registrars, .UK.COM is the preferred British domain extension and can be
purchased from leading registrars such as Blacknight Solutions, Daily
Internet, Domainmonster.com, GetDotted.com, GlobalGold, Hostroute, InterNetX,
Namesco and Networking4All.

About CentralNic

The only registry to launch two new domain extensions in 2010, CentralNic
(www.centralnic.com) manages a growing number of domain extensions,
including .UK.COM in the United Kingdom, .US.COM and .LA in the United
States, .EU.COM in Europe, and .CN.COM in China. The longest-running global
domain registry in the world, CentralNic is the Registry Service Provider of
choice for new TLDs requiring proven secure and stable technology, global
distribution, expertise in domain sales and marketing, and even financing -
with special programs for .brand domains, IDN domains, and not-for profits,
as well as a joint venture with Network Solutions to enable new TLDs.

    Contact:

    Lexi Lavranos
    Marketing Director
    CentralNic
    +44(0)8700-170-900
    lexi@centralnic.com

Lexi Lavranos, Marketing Director, CentralNic, +44(0)8700-170-900, lexi at centralnic.com