VeriSign Naming and Directory Services
VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN) operates the authoritative registries for the .com, .net, .cc, and .name top-level domains under ICANN agreements and serves as Root Zone Maintainer, monetizing per-domain transaction fees through a global network of ICANN-accredited registrars and providing DNS security and registrar tooling services.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersReston, United States
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What VeriSign Naming and Directory Services does
VeriSign, Inc. is a US-incorporated, Virginia-domiciled (NASDAQ: VRSN) operator of critical internet infrastructure, founded in 1995 and headquartered in Reston, Virginia. The company is the authoritative registry for the .com, .net, .cc, and .name top-level domains under contract with ICANN, and additionally serves as Root Zone Maintainer under agreement with ICANN, operating 2 of the 13 global internet root servers. VeriSign's proprietary DNS registration and resolution infrastructure has delivered uninterrupted .com and .net resolution services since 1997, supported by SOC 2 Type II, SOC 3, and 2025 DNSSEC SOC 3 attestations covering the .com, .net, .edu, root zone, and TLD/gTLD platform.
The company monetizes through per-domain registration fees charged to the global network of ICANN-accredited registrars (transaction-fee/take-rate model), with complementary recurring revenue from .cc and .name TLDs and add-on security services including DNSSEC, Registry Lock, RDAP, and developer tooling (EPP SDK, IDN SDK, NameStudio). VeriSign does not sell directly to end customers; all customer relationships are mediated by accredited registrars such as Xin Net, Alibaba Cloud, DNSPod, and others. As of Q3 2025, VeriSign supported 378.5 million domain name registrations globally (.com and .net at 171.9 million), with 6.8 million net adds in the quarter and reported Q3 2025 revenue growth of 7.3%. The company operates a wholly-owned Beijing subsidiary (Verisign Internet Technology Services (Beijing) Co., Ltd.) supporting its China-region registrar business, and engages external counsel (Simmons & Simmons LLP) for EU Digital Services Act compliance.
VeriSign Naming and Directory Services firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- VeriSign Naming and Directory Services
- Legal name
- VeriSign, Inc.
- Website
- https://verisign.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN) operates the authoritative registries for the .com, .net, .cc, and .name top-level domains under ICANN agreements and serves as Root Zone Maintainer, monetizing per-domain transaction fees through a global network of ICANN-accredited registrars and providing DNS security and registrar tooling services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
VeriSign Naming and Directory Services industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Domain Name Registry Services
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518)
- akta.pro primary industry
- DNS Security & Protective DNS (HDADABAF)
Keywords
Where VeriSign Naming and Directory Services is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Reston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
VeriSign Naming and Directory Services business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
Revenue model
- Domain Name Registry Services: Registry services for .com, .net, .name, and .cc top-level domains. Revenue generated through per-domain registration fees charged to accredited registrars. For .com and .net domains, VeriSign does not collect personal information about registrants directly; registrars relay additional information as required by certain TLDs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Registry-to-Registrar pricing for .com and .net TLDs |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
VeriSign Naming and Directory Services product offering
Product offeringCore offering
VeriSign operates authoritative domain name registries for the .com, .net, .cc, and .name top-level domains (TLDs) under agreements with ICANN, providing DNS registration and resolution infrastructure to ICANN-accredited registrars worldwide. The company also serves as Root Zone Maintainer under ICANN agreement, managing two of the thirteen global internet root servers, and offers complementary services including DNSSEC, Registry Lock, and developer tools (EPP/IDN SDKs, NameStudio, RDAP).
Product overview
VeriSign Naming and Directory Services operates as a domain name registry services provider and internet infrastructure company. The core offering consists of operating authoritative registries for major TLDs (.com, .net, .cc, .name) under ICANN agreements, combined with root zone maintenance responsibilities. The company provides complementary services including DNSSEC for DNS security, Registry Lock for domain protection, Whois and RDAP for registration data access, and developer tools (EPP SDK, IDN SDK, NameStudio API) for registrar automation. The TLD registry platform is supplemented by regional internet resolution services and DNS education resources.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- .com Registry Services Authoritative registry services for the .com top-level domain, providing DNS registration and resolution for the world's most widely used TLD, sold to ICANN-accredited registrars.
- .net Registry Services Authoritative registry services for the .net top-level domain, supporting global internet navigation and domain registrations.
- .cc Registry Services
Quantifiable outcome
- 378.5 million domain name registrations supported globally as of Q3 2025
Companies that use VeriSign Naming and Directory Services
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
VeriSign Naming and Directory Services technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
VeriSign Naming and Directory Services partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers)coreVeriSign operates under agreement with ICANN to manage .com, .net, .edu and other TLD registries. ICANN is the coordinating body for the internet's unique identifiers. VeriSign also serves as Root Zone Maintainer under ICANN agreement, managing key internet infrastructure.
- ICANN-Accredited Registrars (Global Network)coreVeriSign provides registry back-end services to ICANN-accredited registrars worldwide. Registrars connect to VeriSign's registry systems to complete domain name registration transactions. Examples include Xin Net Technology Corporation, Alibaba Cloud Computing, DNSPod, and others listed in multiple geographies.
- Simmons & Simmons LLPminorSimmons & Simmons LLP in the Netherlands serves as VeriSign's single point of contact for Digital Services Act (DSA) communications with EU Member States' authorities, European Commission, and European Board for Digital Services per Article 11 and Article 12 of the DSA.
- EDUCAUSEcoreVeriSign operates the .edu zone on behalf of EDUCAUSE, the organization that manages the .edu top-level domain.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
VeriSign Naming and Directory Services competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- GoDaddy Registry: Operates multiple registry platforms including .co and other gTLDs and integrates registry services inherited from Neustar. Mirrors VeriSign's structure as a registry back-end serving ICANN-accredited registrars globally.
- Public Interest Registry (PIR): Operates .org, .ngo, and .ong gTLDs under ICANN agreements as a non-profit registry. Runs registry services using a comparable ICANN-regulated model and shares the same technical EPP/RDAP backend protocol stack that VeriSign serves.
- Nominet: Operates the .uk country-code TLD registry under a comparable regulator-oversight model and delivers DNS infrastructure services. A direct peer in operating critical TLD registry infrastructure, with comparable reliability and EPP-based provisioning requirements.
- CentralNic / Team Internet Group: Manages a portfolio of new gTLDs (e.g., .us.com, .uk.com, .de.com, .cn.com) and operates one of the largest registry back-end platforms for new gTLDs. Directly comparable to VeriSign's registry business model, particularly for newer and alternative TLDs.
- Identity Digital: Largest direct competitor in the registry services space, operating over 240 TLDs (formed from the merger of Donuts, Afilias, and other registry operators). Provides back-end registry services under the same ICANN-regulated model as VeriSign, making it the closest operational comparable for portfolio breadth.
- GMO Registry: Operates new gTLDs including .shop and .tokyo using the same ICANN-regulated registry model as VeriSign. Provides comparable registry back-end services, EPP integration, and registrar enablement for new gTLDs.
- XYZ.COM: Operates the .xyz, .college, .rent, and other new gTLDs. Among the most active new-gTLD registry operators, comparable to VeriSign in registry business mechanics but focused on the new-gTLD segment versus legacy .com/.net franchises.
Broad incumbents
- Cloudflare: Operates a global DNS resolver (1.1.1.1), authoritative DNS, and DNSSEC-adjacent security offerings alongside a much broader internet security and edge platform. Overlaps with VeriSign's DNS resolution and DNSSEC components but as part of a much wider product portfolio.
- Akamai: Large-scale internet infrastructure provider operating authoritative DNS, CDN, and security services. Comparable to VeriSign in DNS resolution and protective DNS offerings but as part of a broad security and edge delivery portfolio.
Others
- Neustar: Provides registry back-end infrastructure, DNS resolution, and security services (now under GoDaddy ownership). Operates adjacent internet infrastructure services rather than competing head-on with VeriSign's .com/.net registry franchise.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
VeriSign Naming and Directory Services social profiles
Digital presenceVeriSign Naming and Directory Services compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance7 records
VeriSign Naming and Directory Services financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
VeriSign Naming and Directory Services leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
VeriSign Naming and Directory Services subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
VeriSign Naming and Directory Services funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
VeriSign Naming and Directory Services M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about VeriSign Naming and Directory Services
What does VeriSign Naming and Directory Services do?
VeriSign operates authoritative domain name registries for the .com, .net, .cc, and .name top-level domains (TLDs) under agreements with ICANN, providing DNS registration and resolution infrastructure to ICANN-accredited registrars worldwide. The company also serves as Root Zone Maintainer under ICANN agreement, managing two of the thirteen global internet root servers, and offers complementary services including DNSSEC, Registry Lock, and developer tools (EPP/IDN SDKs, NameStudio, RDAP).
Is VeriSign Naming and Directory Services a public or private company?
VeriSign Naming and Directory Services is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was VeriSign Naming and Directory Services founded?
VeriSign Naming and Directory Services was founded in 1995. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is VeriSign Naming and Directory Services based?
VeriSign Naming and Directory Services is headquartered in Reston, United States, in the North America region.
How does VeriSign Naming and Directory Services make money?
One revenue line is on record: domain Name Registry Services.
Who are VeriSign Naming and Directory Services's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are GoDaddy Registry, Public Interest Registry (PIR), Nominet, CentralNic / Team Internet Group, Identity Digital, GMO Registry and XYZ.COM. Broad incumbents are Cloudflare and Akamai. Neustar is listed as an others.
Does VeriSign Naming and Directory Services have an API?
Yes. VeriSign offers multiple developer APIs and protocols for registrar operations. EPP (Extensible Provisioning Protocol) SDK for domain name provisioning, IDN (Internationalized Domain Name) SDK for internationalized domain registrations, NameStudio API for domain discovery and registration tools, and RDAP (Registration Data Access Protocol) for accessing registration data. These are used by registrars and domain name system participants.
What industry is VeriSign Naming and Directory Services in?
VeriSign Naming and Directory Services's product category is Domain Name Registry Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDADABAF, DNS Security & Protective DNS. Its NAICS code is 518.