Bermuda.com, the self-described "online gateway to Bermuda" is being sold to Island Press Holdings Ltd.

Tony Brannon, current owner and CEO of Bermuda.com told that the sale is in the final stages of negotiation.

"It's poised to be completed soon," said Mr. Brannon, "and I think the Bermuda Sun will have a serious leg up over all the other media here because of the advertiser contacts and reach of Bermuda.com."

Island Press Holdings is the parent company of newspaper, among a range of other local publications. The company will take complete ownership of Bermuda.com once the sale is complete. Mr. Brannon said he will be involved in the transition period of the sale "to facilitate the changeover and to provide continuity between the new owners and clients". He would not disclose the sale price agreed for the purchase.

Mr. Brannon became the sole owner of the Bermuda.com website five years ago and says that the site has grown significantly during that time.

Mr. Brannon said the site logs 9,000 ? 12,000 unique visitors per day: "It's streets ahead of the Bermuda tourism website", he told The Royal Gazette.

Mr. Brannon says it was the right time to sell the site because "I couldn't grow it anymore on my own. And websites have to dynamically managed, people want responses; whether you get up at 6 a.m. or go to bed at midnight, there's always e-mail to answer. I have been running it alone and it's time to do something different."

Bermuda.com was established in 1995 by three partners, Michael Martin, Terrence Burgess and Chris Cook who subsequently sold the company to former Bermuda-resident Jonathan Dobson. Mr Brannon bought the company in 1999, and has added related websites such as Bermuda Golfing.com, Bermuda Weddings.com and Bermuda International Business Network.com.