Website domain names just got cheaper in Oman

Muscat: Companies in Oman can now host their websites with the .om domain at much lower rates following an initiative by the telecom regulator to provide domain name registrations.
Interactive Solutions and Services, an IT solutions service provider, has signed an agreement with the Telecoms Regulatory Authority (TRA) to provide Omani domain names to corporate customers in a bid to capitalise on the wave of digitisation in the Sultanate.
“Our aim is to provide the right web hosting solution to companies in Oman and we expect our venture to be very successful due to its low cost and domain name,” an official from Interactive Solutions and Services said.
“We expect a large number of people registering for it, but first we would want to create the knowledge and then we will sell it.”
Interactive Solutions and Services will be selling a complete package, including domain names, hosting and email services for OMR45 per year. The domain only pricing is OMR18 for .om and OMR14 for .com.om. For two years, the price will be OMR16 and OMR12, respectively. The current market rate for a domain name is around OMR35, the official added.
“Our business model is different. We are not looking to make profits from the domain name itself. We have an international model because we understand that people need such services. Hosting and .om registry are the main solutions,” the official said on the reasons for the cheaper costs.
Having a country code ending on a domain name is very useful for Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and allows users on the internet to find local shops and solution providers. Moreover, it is known to instil confidence among customers who find local companies more reliable than foreign ones.
“Earlier, a lot of companies used to ask individuals with knowledge to make a website and host it for them.
“However, the domain name remained international and if the individual left, the company lost its website, email and all the data associated with it. With us, you can never lose anything as according to the regulations we have user ID that can be used later to restore the domain,” he said.