In 1993, InterNIC was established to provide services for IP address distribution and domain name registration. Network Solutions and AT&T collaborated on the project, with Network Solutions providing directory and database services and AT&T supplying domain name registration services. In 1998, a new non-profit organization called the Internet Corporation For Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) was established to take management of InterNIC and the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) (ICANN).

Prior to the launch of InterNIC, Network Solutions managed the first domain name service (DNS) registry via a partnership with SRI International and the US Department of Defense. Network Solutions was given the task of allocating domain names for the first ".com," ".net," ".org," ".edu," ".gov," and ".mil" top-level domains under this collaboration. But, when corporations, educational institutions, and other non-military groups adopted the Internet on a global scale, the onus of its management fell to the private sector.

In order to administer the DNS registry and issue domain names to non-military organizations, the National Science Foundation (NSF) founded InterNIC in 1993 in collaboration with Network Solutions and AT&T. Network Solutions became the first private domain name registrar as a result of this decision. In order to merge InterNIC and its tasks with the IANA under a new body, ICANN, the NSF reformed InterNIC in 1998. Prior to ICANN taking over those duties as well after the merger, InterNIC continued to provide WHOIS services for a several of years after the merger