Nominum

Nominum is a Silicon Valley software company headquartered in Redwood City, California, United States.

Nominum focuses on DNS-based products for telecommunications service providers in the areas of network infrastructure, network security, subscriber-defined content control and subscriber communications.

The company’s caching and authoritative DNS software is designed to maintain network reliability and performance. Its security software and data science team prevents the spread of inside threats such as botnets and DNS-based amplification attacks in service provider networks. Parental control and subscriber safety solutions protect households from malicious content such as phishing and ransomware. In-browser messaging enables service providers to communicate directly with subscribers. These DNS-based applications are designed to increase customer retention, engagement and monetization.

History

Nominum was founded in 1999 to develop BIND 9 and ISC DHCP3 for the Internet Systems Consortium (ISC). Following its work on these projects, Nominum undertook to create the world’s first commercial-grade DNS and DHCP solutions.^[1]

Under the leadership of Paul Mockapetris, the inventor of the DNS ^[2] and Ted Lemon, author of the first widely used DHCP implementation,^[3] Nominum released two products: Caching Name Server (CNS) and Dynamic Configuration Server (DCS) – the first commercial-grade DNS and DHCP products – in 2002.

During the 2000s Nominum built up a customer base for its DNS technologies ^[4] with the result that today, Nominum’s DNS software powers the networks of Communication Service Providers in 40 countries, involving 30% of global web traffic ^[5] and supporting over 500 million internet users worldwide.^[6]

In 2009 the company introduced a new DNS security capability that functions as a spam blacklist, providing automated, real-time checking of DNS queries against a list of known malicious sites.^[7] This was based on Nominum’s Trusted Response and Universal Enforcement (TRUE) technology, which protects broadband users and devices against a range of Internet threats and malicious content.^[8]

In 2012, Nominum worked with Microsoft to take down the botnet Nitol.^[9]

In November 2013, Nominum launched N2 ThreatAvert, software for fixed-line and mobile networks, designed to stop the spread of threats that originate from within the network itself.^[10]

In February 2014, the company announced the launch of a suite of N2 applications for fixed-line and mobile networks.^[11] The applications N2 Engage and N2 Reach use DNS to enable customer care and marketing teams to send targeted communications and offers via in-browser messaging to their subscribers.^[12]

Products

Nominum products are categorized under two brands:

1. Vantio™ – DNS engines and security products targeted to telecommunication network infrastructure teams
2. N2 – DNS-based customer and marketing applications targeted to telecommunication marketing, customer experience management, billing and revenue management, legal and regulatory compliance, value-added services, and cybersecurity defense teams^[13]

Network Infrastructure (DNS)

• Vantio CacheServe - Caching DNS
• Vantio AuthServe - Authoritative DNS

Security

• N2 ThreatAvert - DNS Network Security

Marketing and Customer Experience

• N2 Engage - Value-Added Services
• N2 Reach - Subscriber Communications

Funding

Since its launch in 1999, Nominum has received $41M in total funding.^[14] The company’s investors include Bessemer Venture Partners, Morgenthaler Venture Partners, Advanced Technology Ventures, and Globespan Global Partners.^[15]

Partners

Nominum works with a variety of partners in the security industry, including IBM, F-Secure, Sophos, Fortinet and Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit. It also has relationships with several channel partners covering the EMEA, Latin America and Asia-Pacific markets.^[16]

Customers

Nominum's customers include more than 100 leading telecommunication service providers in over 40 countries.

See also

• Web blocking in the United Kingdom - Technologies

References

1. ↑ http://nextgendistribution.com.au/portfolio/nominum/
2. ↑ http://internethalloffame.org/inductees/paul-mockapetris
3. ↑ http://www.amazon.com/The-DHCP-Handbook-2nd-Edition/dp/0672323273/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395779195&sr=8-1&keywords=9780672323270
4. ↑ http://www.lightreading.com/ethernet-ip/nominum-takes-telefand-243nica/d/d-id/618637
5. ↑ http://ovum.com/research/on-the-radar-nominum/
6. ↑ http://www.circleid.com/posts/20120507_nominum_sets_new_record_for_network_speed_and_efficiency/
7. ↑ http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/081809-dns-blacklist.html?page=1
8. ↑ http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/10/15/idUS134517+15-Oct-2008+BW20081015
9. ↑ http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/091412-microsoft-nitol-botnet-262457.html
10. ↑ http://www.telecompaper.com/news/nominum-launches-vantio-threatavert-product--975644
11. ↑ http://www.teleanalysis.com/news/nominum-launches-n2-applications-5490.html
12. ↑ http://ovum.com/research/on-the-radar-nominum/
13. ↑ http://www.informationsecuritybuzz.com/nominum-launches-interactive-channel-improve-marketing-csps/
14. ↑ http://www.crunchbase.com/company/nominum
15. ↑ http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2003/02/17/daily70.html
16. ↑ http://nominum.com/partners/