Vodka.com Purchased Through Sedo for Three Million Dollars by
Global Russian Vodka Maker

Sedo.com brokers transaction for Russian Standard in one of the largest domain name sales of 2007

Cambridge, Mass. (December 15, 2006) – Sedo, the leading online marketplace for the buying and selling of domain names, today announced the sale of the domain name vodka.com for $3 million (US) to Russian Standard Company, the number one premium vodka company in Russia.  The sale marks one of largest domain transactions in recent history and reinforces the growing trend of large companies placing a high strategic value on generic domains.

Russian Standard will leverage vodka.com to build brand awareness as it continues its entrance into the premium U.S. vodka market.  In addition to already receiving strong direct navigation traffic, vodka.com provides the company with a memorable domain to complement its marketing efforts.

“Generic domain names like vodka.com help define a company as a global leader in a market category, and that’s just how we planned to be viewed in the United States and abroad,” said Roustam Tariko, president of Russian Standard Company.  “Sedo did a great job of articulating the value of the domain and how investing in it would help us achieve our business goals.”

An undisclosed seller approached Sedo’s brokerage service earlier this year with the hopes of reaching its desired asking price.  Sedo’s team identified a limited number of potential buyers and educated them on the growing importance of premium domain space before arriving at an agreement with Russian Standard.  More information on Sedo’s brokerage services can be found here: http://www.sedo.com/broker/

“The sale of vodka.com is the perfect ending to a record setting year for Sedo and the domain industry,” said Matt Bentley, chief strategy officer for Sedo.  “We applaud Russian Standard Company for seizing the opportunity to acquire a domain that will define its brand for years to come.”


About Sedo

Sedo, an acronym for “Search Engine for Domain Offers,” is the leading online marketplace for buying and selling domain names and websites.  Headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., Sedo has assembled the world’s largest database of domain names for sale, with more than six million listings.  Buyers and sellers are brought together through a searchable online marketplace, and conduct negotiations anonymously using an offer-counteroffer system.  To facilitate successful transactions, Sedo has introduced a range of related services, including domain name escrow/transfer services, domain name appraisals, a domain brokerage service and paid domain name parking program.  The success of Sedo’s model has attracted a global membership base of more than 320,000 domain professionals, and helped more than 5,000 businesses start their Web presence off on the right foot with a great domain name.  Sedo offers regional versions of its site for the UK (Sedo.co.uk), France (Sedo.fr), Germany (Sedo.de), and Spain (eSedo.com). For additional information, please visit www.sedo.com.

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