After readers informed the Register about the problem, the website contacted 1&1 and received an email response apologizing for and explaining the disruption.

According to the statement, the problem arose when 1&1 was updating Microsoft Outlook Web Access software. “Following preparations for an update to new software for Microsoft Exchange 2007 Front-end, one server serving the Outlook front-end has partly been inaccessible as a result of a change in its IP address,” the statement read. “The IP address of this server was apparently made available too late for some DNS servers for some ISPs, resulting in some hundred customers using these DNS servers not being able to access their mailbox via Outlook Web Access.”

While 1&1 reported that a large majority of DNS servers already incorporated the change, due to different DNS server configurations, some users experienced slow performance. They noted that customers with such an issue should attempt to refresh their DNS cache with the command “IPCONFIG/flushdns.” They also suggested that another way to cope with the problem would be to use a different mail-client than OWA until the DNS-server has been fully updated.

According to 1&1, no customers using Linux mail servers or MailExchange customers have been affected.

According to the announcement Monday, the partnership also strengthens RatePoint’s international reach by extending its platform, which includes the latest Web 2.0 trends, web content authentication and consumer ratings systems, to businesses in Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Spain.

“As the world’s largest hosting provider, we are in a unique position to understand the needs of businesses with an online presence,” said 1&1 chief executive officer Oliver Mauss said. “Not only will RatePoint’s platform help our customers stand out on the Web and promote their business quality, it will have a tremendous impact in converting site visitors into loyal customers and improving customer satisfaction.”

RatePoint helps companies manage what is said about them online by providing a mechanism to collect, manage and promote authentic consumer reviews and feedback directly from their websites.

Having made enhancements earlier this year, RatePoint’s platform benefits consumers by giving them an interactive method to provide feedback directly to a business. The business can then use this important data to resolve potential issues.

“1&1 has established its place as a global leader in the Internet marketplace by continually providing progressive services to meet future trends in the marketplace,” RatePoint co-founder and CEO Neal Creighton said. “RatePoint is proud to offer our online reputation management services to help transform business websites into formidable marketing and customer satisfaction tools for 1&1’s international customer base.”

The news comes a month after open source software provider Open-Xchange released a new tool to enable iPhone users to have access to Open-Xchange’s business-class email, calendaring and collaboration solutions.

iPhone users can get access to their emails, appointments and contacts, anytime and anywhere. A push service ensures that all data is synchronized in real-time.

Users of the original iPhones can also update to the new iPhone 2.0 software to use 1&1’s professional communications suite.

“Particularly for small enterprises, 1&1 Microsoft Exchange is a genuine alternative to a dedicated server, and at a fraction of the cost,” says Oliver Mauss, CEO of 1&1 Internet. “The iPhone, with its outstanding user concept, has gained many excited followers across the world in a short time. We are very glad that all features of 1&1 Microsoft Exchange are now available on this innovative device”.

1&1 Microsoft Exchange is priced from $6.99 per month, and includes an 1GB Exchange account, group functionality tools, such as public calendars, contacts, discussions and task management.

Users will receive a free license for Microsoft Outlook 2007 software. Email addresses from other providers can also be used with 1&1 Microsoft Exchange and the new iPhone software.

1&1 email solutions are hosted within 1&1’s high security data centers, where the company oversees security updates and back-ups reducing the total cost of ownership for the service.

Additionally, users connect to their Microsoft Exchange account via encrypted SSL connections, ensuring secure access to personal data from any Internet-connected computer worldwide.

1&1 Internet said Thursday that it has seen “impressive growth” in the number of .org domains registered, which the company says suggests “an increase in web activity within the non-profit and charity sectors.”

Between December 2006 and December 2007, the company says it registered more than 70,000 .org domains, an increase of 31 percent (presumably over the previous year-long period). The hosting company charges $6.99 per year for a .org domain, in a package that includes a five-page website, search engine submission and private registration.

Included in 1&1’s announcement was some comment from the Public Interest Registry, the organization that operates the .org domain, which helped to sing the praises of the work non-profits are doing online.

“The contributions of the .ORG community in recent years are amazing,” says PIR CEO Alex Raad, in the 1&1 press release. “They have not only helped to galvanize interest in various causes, but by adopting trends such as social networking, have given individuals unprecedented means to inspire, educate, collaborate, and ultimately change the world as we know it.”

The Public Interest Registry might take some issue, though, with 1&1’s assumption about the charity-related reason for the increase, given its recent efforts to make people in general aware that there are actually no registration restrictions on the .org domain, which is most commonly associated with non-profits.

In April, the group launched a resource center for users of the .org domain. Along with providing resources to the long-standing non-profit audience for the domain, the company sought to clear up misconceptions that the .org domain was limited to use by non-profits, and offered examples of groups using .org domains in “numerous ways.”

And in a decidedly for-profit move, the company reported earlier this month that it intends to raise the price of .org domain registration by 10 percent in November of this year.

1&1 says it is participating in PIR’s “World Voices” campaign, which intended to showcase the contributions of the .org community, and, says Raad, to “position the Public Interest Registry as a passionate steward of the namespace and a fierce advocate for the rights of its community.”

The web host is offering its Home and Developer shared hosting packages free for the first three months. The plans require a $1 setup fee on the Virtual Private Server II for a 12 month contract and Business Server II for a 24 month contract.

1&1 is also offering customers the .info domain at $0.99 for the first year. Additionally, the company is offering 1&1 Microsoft SharePoint 3.0.

The company is also offering Microsoft SharePoint 3.0, which helps employees stay connected and productive by gving access to the people, documents and information needed to make decisions and operate a business.

The solution includes new features, such as mobile access to tasks, project updates via RSS Feeds and the ability to better communicate using Blogs and Wiki sites. Growing businesses can also buy more web space to meet their expanding storage needs.

1&1 hosting plans include up to five free domains and complimentary private domain registration. They also include the 1&1 WebsiteBuilder, enabling users to build a professional web presence.

Several 1&1 customers contacted The Register yesterday, complaining that they could not access their databases and that support lines were busy from 1 p.m. yesterday.

1&1 sent The Register the following statement:

Due to an unexpected error during a DNS reconfiguration, database services for UK customers not using dedicated servers were temporarily unavailable between 13:39 and 15:15. However, there was neither storage lost nor website or database server down; this led to some shared hosting websites temporarily not aligning with linked databases.

The majority, more than 90 percent of 1&1 customers who have either not configured a database with their website or are using a database on their 1&1 Dedicated Server, were not affected by the incident. After the incident had been reported, the DNS configuration had been fixed. Services are back to normal now. We apologise for any inconvenience.

The company says that in less that three years, 1&1 has doubled the number of domains it has registered to 10 million and in the past year alone, the number of registered domains in the UK has increased by over 23 percent. 1&1 says that some of its popularity can be attributed to the features its bundles with each registration, like a starter website and search engine submission.

“We have seen pleasing growth in our domain registrations worldwide,” says Andreas Gauger, chairman of 1&1 Internet. “Consumers nowadays require more than a raw solution at a low price. 1&1 products deliver a quick and effective Web presence and our domains are no exception. We see a direct link between our rapid domain growth and our unique domain features. We will continue to add to our domains and make it even easier to launch online.”

In a separate announcement, .uk domain names registrar Nominet recently notified UK domain registrar 123-reg that it has become the first company to surpass one million .uk domain names registered on a single Internet provider security tag. The company says it believes it as achieved this milestone due to the high level of domain control it gives to its customers.

The new 1&1 mobility solution uses OpenXchange for collaboration capabilities, including contact and calendar management. 1&1 chose Funambol for its mobile email and PIM feature set for the mass market, source code transparency and low cost. By using Funambol software, 1&1 says it will differentiate its offerings and mobilize its email user base while attracting new customers for its affordable email services.

“After thoroughly researching the market for push email services, Funambol proved to offer the solution we were looking for,” says Andreas Gauger, 1&1 chairman of the board. “We believe in the success of software as a service and Funambol’s open source-based solution delivers on both our business and customer needs. We look forward to making this mobile service available to our customers soon.”

Service providers such as 1&1 are increasingly selecting open source-based software to provide mobile services. Earlier this year, Funambol announced an agreement with EarthLink and anticipates more will follow, generating a wide range of new low-cost mobile email and related services for the mass market.

1&1 says eShops provides powerful e-commerce functionality such as eBay integration, secure payment processing and advanced marketing tools. Prices start at £4.99 a month plus VAT. The solution can be a useful asset to smaller retailers and home users seeking an effective e-commerce platform with minimum costs, says the company.

1&1 says its eShops are payment card industry compliant, meaning they fully comply with major credit card providers’ requirements for data security. The solution also offers features like advanced stock management and order management functionality, customer management functionality and customer groups, export to multiple product search engines, advanced discount tools and over 100 design templates.

“We are proud to introduce our most advanced range of eShop packages yet. The solutions provide an excellent way for anyone to start retailing online with no fuss and only a small investment,” says Andreas Gauger, CEO of 1&1 Internet. “Whilst the advanced features will satisfy serious merchants, our eShops provide an extremely flexible e-commerce platform for a wide range of user groups.”

Created by Internet entrepreneur Joel Comm, the show pits twelve contestants against one another to compete for a $25,000 cash prize and an opportunity to participate in a large-scale joint venture with Comm. The six men and six women will learn from Internet marketing leaders and contend to prove their business and Internet ability in a full fall season of episodes.

1&1 Internet joins the sponsorship roster of The Next Internet Millionaire in a role on the second episode. Joshua Sloan, director of online marketing for 1&1, appears for a special segment featuring 1&1 site building tools. The Next Internet Millionaire is a joint venture between InfoMedia, Eric Holmlund and Deluge Films of Northern Colorado.

“We are pleased to welcome Joshua Sloan and 1&1 Internet to the show,” says Joel Comm, host and executive producer of The Next Internet Millionaire. “Their hosting and site building tools are second to none, and I am excited to have Joshua Sloan as a representative of the company on the show to introduce our contestants to a compelling and entertaining task centered around 1&1’s exciting Web hosting and domain products.”