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.

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.”

Priced from £14.99 a month and available in both Linux and MS formats, 1&1 virtual servers offer a server solution with root access at prices comparable to shared Web hosting. 1&1 says its virtual server packages deliver consistently high performance, even when usage peaks on a particular server, and can be ideal for users that require the greater control and flexibility of root access.

All servers include a large Web space allowance and bulk traffic allowance, Plesk 8.1 license for 30 domains, Virtuozzo software and 100 Mbps bandwidth.

“We are proud to introduce our new range of virtual servers,” says Andreas Gauger, CEO of 1&1 Internet. “These solutions will appeal to those who seek greater control than a shared hosting plan can provide, but who are also concerned about cost. For a really low price, virtual server users can install whatever applications they wish and work with their system as if it were entirely their own server.”

Powered by Yahoo! Search Marketing, the new solution provides customers with a solution for pay-per-click sponsored search and is specifically designed for smaller budgets. 1&1 says the tool will enable business to run sponsored search marketing campaigns on major search engines and highly trafficked Web sites across the Yahoo! Search Marketing network. It provides monthly reports on rankings and bids as well as competitors’ keywords. Customers will have access to an online marketing manual with advice on how to run a successful campaign, and an initial £50 Yahoo! Search Marketing voucher.

1&1 has also partnered with AdLINK Internet Media to provide all new hosting customers with 1&1 Banner Advertising. The tool provides an integrated solution for UK small businesses to design and place targeted banner advertisements. 1&1 customers will be able to design their banners using the ULEAD GIF animator supplied, and place them using the AdLINK partner network. Users are charged by page impressions on a monthly basis.

“We are delighted to have partnered with Yahoo! Search Marketing, the pioneer of paid search, to provide this ground-breaking feature,” says Andreas Gauger, CEO of 1&1 Internet. “1&1 strives to push the boundaries of Web hosting and equip the smaller Web site owner with the best chance of attracting and retaining visitors.”