P&O Ferries hires domain management firm

P&O Ferries has signed an agreement with web domain name management firm NetNames for it to control its use and acquisition of URLs.

NetNames will manage what P&O Ferries calls "a substantial" portfolio of domain names including the flagship POFerries.com site and specific URLs such as SailToSpain.co.uk.

The brand offshoots are used primarily for dedicated marketing campaigns for certain routes or to drive customers to the main portal during peak periods.

P&O Ferries will use the NetNames Platinum Service as part of the deal, a division of NetNames currently running similar projects for around a third of the UK's FTSE 100 companies.

P&O Ferries chief information officer Andrew Reeves said: "As we continue to grow our online business, domain names are becoming a key part of our marketing strategy.

"It is imperative that we have a proactive solution to centralise our domain names as a strategic marketing tool and protect our brand from online threats."

As well as organising acquisition and management of URLS, NetNames will be tasked with ensuring ownership of existing domains are automatically renewed.

NetNames chief operating officer Jonathan Robinson said: "The online travel market is increasingly competitive and large organisations like P&O Ferries realise the importance of using domain names strategically as a key part of their online marketing and to protect their online brand."