Irish companies are not seizing the opportunity to claim their stake in cyberspace, by failing to register their companies with Internet addresses or domain names.

According to iedomains/IED, an Irish company specialising in domain name registration, less than 8 per cent of Irish companies have registered their domain names. Among SME's and small office, home office (SOHO) companies in particular, there is little evidence of change.

Despite the emphasis placed by the Government on e-commerce, and the presence of such a vibrant technology industry, IED believes smaller companies are choosing to ignore the Internet during the current boom period.

"Unfortunately, it appears that the old Irish expression `if it works, don't fix it' is being incorrectly applied by the majority."

IED is urging more Irish companies to register their company names before they are taken by companies with similar names.

Its site, www.iedomains.com, tells visitors whether their preferred domain name has already been registered, and assists in the registration process.