The PW Registry Corporation, public trustee of the PW domain, says the PW extension is ideal for the creation and management of social networks and online communities. A PW email address allows users to protect their own personal information and register email identities related to their membership in a social network.

"With spam and personal privacy threats on the rise, consumers are looking to gain better control of their personal information online. They are looking for ways to communicate with like-minded people without risking personal information or compromising the addresses of friends and colleagues," says Thomas Barrett, founder of PW Registry Corporation. "The availability of PW capitalizes on the growing consumer demand for email portability and a permanent Internet identity that is meaningful to the individual. Resellers can take immediate advantage of this consumer interest by bundling it as part of access plans or as part of personal Web sites, online communities and social networks."

The PW Registry also announced that it is offering a new monthly registration term for resellers, allowing domain registrars, Internet service providers and Web hosting companies to bundle the PW address with their other service offerings. PW Registry said this would allow resellers to avoid the expense of annual registration fees.

Public availability of the PW extension is slated for later this spring.