A few columns ago I wrote about a local study which showed that 69 percent of Web sites with a Bermuda top level domain, those with a ".bm" in the URL address, actually resided on servers outside of Bermuda.

Not every site from Bermuda chooses to use the ".bm" domain. Some use the more common ".com" or ".org" and were not captured in the study by Bermuda's QuoVadis.

I decided to check these sites and find out exactly who does not use Bermuda-based servers and why not. There is a relatively easy way to check where, geographically, a Web site is based.

The method is not foolproof, but it works most of the time, according to the IT people I talked to. First you must find the IP (Internet Protocol) address of the URL.

Then you must find what server is hosting that URL/IP address. An URL, such as www.yahoo.com, always has an associated IP. The IPs are really the numbers behind the URLs, which were developed as a more convenient way for humans to remember how to connect to an Internet site.

For example, the URL for OffshoreOn (the site I work for) is www.offshoreon.com. To find the IP address you must be connected to the Internet. You then "ping" or send a query to the server the site is on to find the IP address.

If you are using Windows 98. go to the start menu and access the "Run" command. In the space provided type in "ping www.offshoreon.com" then tap the "enter" key.

The site's IP address will show up in a DOS Window, which for OffshoreOn is 216.249.45.123.

If you are using a different version of Windows and this method does not work then go to www.computing.net and pick your flavour.

The site seems to have most, if not all, the answers to computer-related topics. Once you have the IP address you then go to "http://ww2.arin.net/whois" on the Internet.

Type the IP address in the space provided, click the query button and you get the information. Technically, this shows who supplies connectivity to the hosting site and is normally a good indication of where the website resides. For the example the Whois query for OffshoreOn gives the host's address as Bermuda-based North Rock Communications.

Here is what I found for other sites. The BMA site (www.bma.bm) and the Government's "still-under-construction" site (www.gov.bm) are both located in Bermuda at servers provided by Internet Bermuda Ltd. (IBL).

The Ministry of Telecommunications site, which is a static billboard at www.mtec.bm, is also located at IBL. However, it seems to me politically incorrect that the Bermuda Tourism, the Progressive Labour Party and the Chamber of Commerce all use servers located outside of Bermuda.

Isn't this the Government that is supposed to promote Bermuda as a "cyber island", a place for foreign companies to locate their Internet businesses? For the record the site www.bermudatourism.com is located on a server in Baltimore.

The PLP's site is located on a server hosted by a company called Allegiance Telecom Companies Worldwide, which is based in Dallas. Meanwhile, the UBP's site is hosted by IBL. The Chamber of Commerce (http://bermudacommerce.com/) uses Bermuda-based New Media Innovations to host its site. But the actual server is located somewhere in the US. As an aside, New Media Innovations kindly donated its design and hosting services to the Chamber.

Still, the organisation representing the business community should seriously think about a different strategy, perhaps after the PLP demonstrates its own commitment to cyber island.

There are many individual business sites located on servers outside of Bermuda and it would be unfair to pick on any one, because they are simply following good business sense.

I asked some IT experts in Bermuda to explain. This being Bermuda, they did not want to get involved in a minor political spat and so I have kept their comments anonymous.

"The main reasons that Bermudian companies use US hosting are cost and 24-hour support. With Bermuda's import duties and cost of living, it is hard for local ISPs to compete with the huge US hosting companies," one said.

The problem is not the reliability of the service provided by the Bermuda ISPs as another IT expert attested. "The feedback I receive from many of our customers is that hosting with one of the local ISP's is just not good value for money. Especially for small businesses who need to keep a close eye on their bottom line," she said.

For example a basic hosting account with either North Rock or Logic costs about $45 per month. Hosting that requires advanced scripting or database capabilities is over $100 per month. Plus there is a hefty sign-up fee. North Rock's is $250 for example.

Cable & Wireless provide the advance features that are available overseas. But their pricing starts at $125 per month. "While these prices may not seem high, in comparison to overseas pricing were there are usually small or no set-up fees and prices that mainly ranges from $5 to $12 per month for a basic account and $20 to $30 for accounts with advanced features," the expert said.

"It is very much a global standard these days for hosting plans to come with plenty of free e-mail accounts and selection of other features that can all be administered by the customer via a user control panel. If you look at most overseas hosting providers plans you will see these types of things offered."

The point is, Bermuda remains stuck in a kind of Internet wasteland. It has all the services and legislation a cyber island needs to get started. But the costs are too high, and Government's commitment to develop the sector is spotty at best.