Domain registrar eNom has acquired rival registrar BulkRegister, LLC, which manages more than 1.5 million domains for its 35,000 customers. eNom said the acquisition gives it more than 6.8 million domain names under management, allowing it to pass Network Solutions to become the second-largest registrar after Go Daddy.

BulkRegister, which provides domain registration and management tools for the corporate market, is based in Baltimore and was owned by reseller hosting specialist Alabanza. Terms of the deal were not announced.

"We are excited about this significant and synergistic addition to our domain platform," said Paul Stahura, founder and chief executive officer of eNom. "Both eNom and BulkRegister have built up strong, loyal and successful customer bases, by providing great tools, high quality service, and a solid technology platform. The combination of the two companies is a natural fit."

Both registrars focus on customers that manage large numbers of domains, according to John Kane, VP of business development for eNom. "eNom's business model is built on a strong network of resellers and retail clients worldwide," said Kane. "Similarly, BulkRegister has been a leader in serving high-volume customers with exceptional service and innovative tools for managing many domain names at once. We believe the combined company will better serve these complementary markets, by bringing together the best practices of both BulkRegister and eNom."

The deal further expands the size and capabilities of Demand Media Inc., which bought eNom earlier this year. Demand Media is backed by $120 million in funding from Wall Street investors and venture capital firms, and has been quietly acquiring a portfolio of more than 150,000 domains.