the technology behind the technology

Your name is Nasiombe Mutonyi, but you go by Mutonyi. How'd that happen?

I tell people Mutonyi is Italian. Actually, I came to the U.S. in 1988 from Kenya; there are some cultural constraints on calling people by their first name that make last name preferable.

You work in Registry Services. Can you explain what registry means?

Neustar maintains the database for the .biz domain. When somebody wants to register a domain name they go to a registrar who signs them up. The registrar looks into our database to see if the name is available before they can register the name for the customer. We really don't deal directly with consumers-we work with the registrars that register the domains. We also manage the .us domain under contract with the U.S. Department of Commerce, among several other domains.

Tell me about the type of customer service you provide?

The basic philosophy of our customer support department is that the customer counts. There is the old slogan about the customer always being right. We live by that principle every day.

It sounds like you do a good job with it?

We like to think so. Our dedicated customer loyalty team employs the Net Promoter methodology to gather feedback directly from our customers which we take very seriously. We use this feedback in everything we do including process and product improvements.

What brought you here from Kenya?

I came to the U.S. to teach the Swahili language and culture at Ohio University. I had previously been teaching at the University of Kenya.

Working at Neustar is quite a change from teaching and living in Kenya. Do you like it?

One of the most enjoyable things about working at Neustar is the diversity. It's like working at the United Nations – you really do meet people from everywhere.

How does this diversity impact Neustar?

Diversity by itself is great because it offers you different perspectives of what and how to bring new products to your customers. We approach everything we do with diversity in mind.

Maybe approaching things with a more open mind?

Exactly

You're a linguist. What would be an analysis of the word Neustar?

It depends on where you're from. "Neu" is the way the Germans write "new." They would say that it's a new star. But the history of the name itself is that we took the "neu" from "neutral." The star part followed after that. It fits because we are a neutral third party that provides services to our customers without advantaging one over another.

How many languages do you speak?

I would say about five – I've recently added Japanese because my wife is Japanese.I also speak German, French, Spanish, and six or seven languages from Kenya.

Which one are you most comfortable speaking?

Can I choose two? Probably Swahili and English.