CA founder starts fresh firm. First stop: Domain Names

Russell Artzt’s startup will help firms understand their digital assets and how they are being used.

CA Technologies (Computer Associates) co-founder Russ Artzt has started a fresh firm, Digital Associates, which seeks to help firms manage their digital landscape.

The firm’s first product is a reverse Whois tool called Domain Discovery. The product’s unique twist on reverse whois is that it ties to a corporate subsidiaries and executives database. This enables it to find all domains registered by a firm, whether they’re registered in a subsidiary’s name or the name of an executive.

Domain Discovery is mostly geared to firms trying to get an understanding of their digital landscape, rather than as a security tool. Firms can also purchase notes on their competitors. Notes that cover all subsidiaries are right now priced at $999.

Digital Associates plans to offer more products related to digital assets in the future.

For example, the firm can add “health scores” to help firms understand if they are using their domain names efficiently, Artzt told Reglike.

Another product might help a firm understand the trademarks it owns and how they are being referenced on the web.

“At my former firm, the legal department probably has a list of their trademarks but they probably don’t know where the trademarks are being used on the web,” Artzt explained. “Are they potentially being used in a fraudulent way, or are they legitimate”?

Artzt states the firm’s target clients are Chief Marketing Officers and legal departments.

Competitors in this space include DomainTools and DomainIQ, and perhaps firms like CSC.