Is it true that a Web hosting company would be giving away their hosting? Now usually I say stay away from junk like this, because that is exactly what it is, junk. Well this time around I could be wrong. Why? The name behind it is 1&1, one of the world’s largest Web hosting companies. Technically you are only getting a test drive account, but still six months of free Web hosting is something worth looking into.

Netcraft, a name you can really trust in the world of Web hosting, has written up a summery of what they are offering and a little more about the history of the company for those who are still a little scared.

1&1 Internet AG, the world’s largest hosting company, has launched a promotion offering free full-featured web hosting accounts for up to six months. The “Test Drive” features 1&1’s BusinessPro Package, which is its most popular hosting plan and normally costs $9.99 a month. The free trial includes a domain name and participants do not have to submit any credit card information.

The offer is similar to an earlier 1&1 campaign to promote the launch of its U.S. hosting operation, which offered up to three years of unpaid hosting. 1&1 is clearly hoping to convert the free accounts to paid customers, which it presumably has not yet done with the approximately 100,000 accounts it signed up under its U.S. launch promotion. The free hosting offer debuts as many hosting companies are seeking to attract customers with enhanced disk space and bandwidth allowances, rather than price cuts that further erode profit margins.

You can read the rest of what Netcraft has to say, then see what you think. If I needed the Web hosting, I would definitely try it out. This might be the proverbial pond that some of you wanting to get your feet wet were waiting for. Definitely worth checking it out at least.