Architelos

Type:	Private
Industry:	Consulting
Founded:	March, 2011
Founder(s):	Alexa Raad
Headquarters:	Leesburg, VA & Los Angeles, CA
Country:	USA
Products:	NameSentry, Business Case Builder
Website:	Architelos.com
Facebook:	Architelos Facebook
LinkedIn:	Architelos LinkedIn
Twitter:	@architelos
Key People
Alexa Raad, Founder and CEO John Matson, COO Michael Young, CTO Norbert Grey, CFO

Architelos provides strategic consulting and managed services for clients in the Domain Name System (DNS) industry to bolster their competitive edge in a de-regulating market. The Architelos team of executives has over 30 years of experience, and a track record in building, launching and managing multi-million name gTLDs. Clients include new as well as existing generic Top Level Domain (gTLD) and Country Code (ccTLD) registries. Consulting services comprise competitive strategy, financial management, ICANN policy, as well as a suite of services designed to shepherd new gTLD applicants through the various phases of ICANN's new gTLD Program. Software services include the patent-pending Namesentry™, a SaaS based domain abuse detection and mitigation service, and Business Case Builder, a registry financial management application. Architelos has locations in Leesburg, VA, Los Angeles (LA), Toronto and Dublin, as well as data centers in Toronto and LA.

The philosophy behind Architelos is that the Internet will soon be changing, with the introduction of the new gTLD program. It predicts that the deregulation of the domain name market will require current businesses to re-assess and likely re-position their focus as the differentiation between registries and registrars deminishes and the DNS expands with the addition of many new TLDs. Alexa Raad, the Founder and CEO, has experience launching new gTLDs (.mobi), and leading an established registry (PIR of .org).

In February, 2012, Architelos announced that it had earned more than $1 million in consulting and software services fees in its first year of operation. The software fees are associated with its Top-Level Domain Management Service (TMS®) and Business Case Builder programs, which help companies prepare and work with their new gTLD applications. Customers of its consulting services include Verisign, Nominet, AFNIC, the .music applicant Far Further, and the Canadian Internet Registry Authority.

Services

• Strategy Consulting and Competitive Analysis
• Feasibility Analysis, which involves the analysis the potential successes and falls of a company's business plan.
• New gTLD Application Support,
• Policy Advisory,
• Contention Resolution,
• Objection Evaluation,
• Support for Clarifying Questions
• and Velocity, a comprehensive marketing program which functions as an outsourced CMO,

Software

• NameSentry, A Domain Name Abuse Detection and Mitigation Application,
• The Business Case Builder (BCB), a SaaS based application that helped prospective TLD applicants develop the full financials and comprehensive business case required for application. The BCB also allows applicants to modify and track their financials to evaluate scenarios and track against plan.
• TLD Launch and Management, upon acceptance of the new TLD by ICANN.

In April, 2012, Architelos launched its new marketing program, Velocity, to help registries drive registrations directly with a registry related registrar. This is intended to bypass or supplement the usual registrar-based marketing channel.

In August 2012, the company launched a new SaaS product for registries called NameSentry. It allows the registry to see how many names under their TLD are flagged as abusive, whether spamming, phishing, hosting malware, etc. It also comes with a built-in Whois service, which allows the registry to see which registrar is responsible for the the abusive registrations. The product was initially targeted towards ccTLDs, but Architelos also planned to sell the product to new gTLDs as they are launched. It is now available for both.

Customers

In October, 2012, the largest new gTLD applicant, Donuts, announced that they would use Architelos' NameSentry software-as-a-service to detect and mitigate domain name abuse. The patent-pending NameSentry application protects new gTLDs from phishing, malware, spam, botnets and other types of abuse. It is the first independent, third-party resource of its kind for the domain name industry.

Just a day after the Donuts announcement, on October 11, 2012, it was announced that another large portfolio applicant, Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd, parent company of Minds + Machines, would also be using the NameSentry system.