.mobi Future of Mobi Domains... did I nail it or what?

[GoPC]

I've been shouting from atop my soap box that the success of mobi is not in the cool factor or in marketing or even in branding education... it will be more in line with extortion, force feeding and survival.

This article appears today on Google:

http://www.google.com/mobile/mobile_search.html

Google search results presented with an option for MOBILE WEB.... Exclusive to .mobi domains.

It's a very short step from here to Google detecting that the search is originating from a moble and just delivering .mobi results.

As a Business, on the web... can you afford to NOT have a mobi site and be listed in Google's .mobi search results?

LOL... and so it begins.

GoPC

 

[space101]

"Use Google Mobile Web Search, which searches through sites that have been specifically designed for mobile phones and devices."

Is this is what you mean ?

 

[newton]

/Start cynical mode

Can you afford to what amounts to selling a kidney on the blackmarket in order to pay for surfing the web with your phone?

Here's a mad scenario .. as a supplier of mobile devices I need to make continual in-roads and sell as many new phones each month as possible. I can produce 1 or 2 new lines of phones a month and since there is a glut of phones out there and people are happy with what they are using currently, I am pretty screwed.

How about if I create a tld that caters for these phones, then the people would have to buy the new phones just to surf the net. If we make it mandatory that the domains have to have mobile sites on them too, this would help the carriers who push our mobile phones. That sounds like a win-win scenario for the corporates, but what about the customer I hear you cry .. hmmmm Christmas is looming and everyone will want a new phone and domain to go with it; time to put some spin on the sales messages.

/End cynical mode

The sensible thing would be for the carriers to really lower their prices on surfing the net with a mobile, then it would be far more attractive to the public. If that happened throughout, then even I would be looking at .mobi with renewed interest.

 

[MinionDH]

Exclusive to .mobi domains.

where does it say it is exclusive to .mobi domains?

 

[Morgan]

The cost i think wont be a problem, we will see a decline in the costs to use mobiles on the internet just like broadband etc.
This is good news i will be buying more .mobi on the 11th

 

[stscac]

Exclusive to .mobi domains.

where does it say it is exclusive to .mobi domains?

It doesn't, this was implemented before .mobi was available.

-Steve

 

[MadAboutDomains]

It doesn't, this was implemented before .mobi was available.

-Steve

Yes, It was released many moons ago (years ago)... it used to automatically change to the simple 'WAP'/Mobile home page.

Also, it has never been specifically for .MOBI, nor is it now. Normal web pages can be viewed through mobile phones too you know... not just .MOBI ones. GOogle Mobile Search shows all results (.com. .net etc...) as it does with its normal web interface.

 

[ezinaz]

The good side of dot mobi

I can think of alot of things that I would buy using my mobile phone. One example, I'm outside the game looking for tickets...instead of dealing with a sleazy scalper, I can jump on my phone and buy a ticket at a broker (maybe a sleazy broker). The ticket is wired to my phone and I can present the virtual ticket stub to the box office, or to the ticket taker, and they can scan it in.
In a few years, this is going to be a very common scenario.

As far as the .mobi extension goes, it makes sense to default to a common extension instead of making cell phone users type in the entire some-url dot whatever. Since input is so difficult on mobile phones, users should only have to enter the buytix portion of the url, and not the whole buytix.mobi or buytix.com.
I feel that .mobi will be this extension. This is why I have invested in dot mobi.

 

[AdoptableDomains]

I agree with ezinaz that although not required, it will be give A LOT of preference as the default TLD on a mobile device for the following reasons:

1. The creators of .mobi are THE big players in the mobile hardware/software/network industry. It will be built into future software as the default. Many will be served up by default by the providers, and you'll probably have to search deeper for non-mobi's. .mobi will probably be the default TLD if none is entered, or at least at the top of a drop down list.

2. It will be simpler for google, yahoo, msn, etc. to guarantee a .mobi site is formated for mobile, since it is a requirement of the registry. It could count for higher SE rankings on mobile search pages.

3. Big players will be promoting their .mobi sites through the phone services.

4. I would bet the providers start moving toward giving cell phones .mobi email addresses to differentiate between more robust email clients. It would be simpler to hard code mail software that all .mobi emails need to be plain text and of limited size than train people to change the email format based where sending it. A person sending to .mobi would be more likely to know the limitations of formatted HTML email than if sent to ##########@vtext.com which is verizon's standard phone email address. Also maybe less chance of mobile virus by making sure cell based (not blackberry) email is plain text.

 

[harkster]

4. I would bet the providers start moving toward giving cell phones .mobi email addresses to differentiate between more robust email clients. It would be simpler to hard code mail software that all .mobi emails need to be plain text and of limited size than train people to change the email format based where sending it. A person sending to .mobi would be more likely to know the limitations of formatted HTML email than if sent to ##########@vtext.com which is verizon's standard phone email address. Also maybe less chance of mobile virus by making sure cell based (not blackberry) email is plain text.

You have my interest now. Email should be limited to plain text except for attachments and html attachments should not be allowed.

I have my client set to text and unless the sender is known all html formatted email gets deleted using mailwasher without looking (that includes Godaddy crap). Actually I am thinking about automatically deleting the Godaddy junk mail.

 

[ezinaz]

So now our phones will contain paper or a device that can be scanned...

No...no paper. Your phone screen will display a bar code that can be scanned. This is already a service that is available and is being used.

...that and we won't get good seats. From a broker who is still making money and I have to pay via cellphone first vs. just getting the ticket in my hand as I pay.

You'll have a BETTER chance of getting good seats this way. You'll have instant access to a real-time list of tickets. Buyers and sellers could instantly buy and sell tickets through their mobiles. More supply == better pricing for you, theoretically.
I concede that payment might be somewhat difficult, but you could have an account already set up or could pay via CC.

Is it just me or is all that a pita ? I see these applications and say the same thing. Not practical. Like voice command, I bet everyone is using it to reply to this message that way you wont have to move your fingers.

There are some user interface issues, but the benefits outweigh the challenges I believe.

 

[ekal]

Today its email, email, emai but the future is:

Local Search
Local Search
Local Search

You get lost - the mobile can show you a map of the way home.
Need a beer - the mobile will show you the nearest bars
Want the cheapest burgers in the area - the mobile will know

City, town and local search-related domains are my bet for the success of .mobi

 

[Heman maximus]

I use internet on my cellphone everyday. Mostly to check football and cricket scores...

I think its going to catch on to people really fast.

 

[stscac]

I use internet on my cellphone everyday. Mostly to check football and cricket scores...

I think its going to catch on to people really fast.

As do I.

I have a smartphone (well, technically, since its running MS Mobile) and I check my email, scores, and other personal interests daily.

That's why I've been such a backer of mobi since Mid-2005.

-Steve

 

[gamehouse]

You get lost - the mobile can show you a map of the way home -- Yes can happen but not in masses.

Need a beer - the mobile will show you the nearest bars -- yes can happen but not in masses

Want the cheapest burgers in the area - the mobile will know-- Yes can happen, but I am sure, I can use the transmission costs to fund my expensive burger, if at all.

My 2 cents.

Today its email, email, emai but the future is:

Local Search
Local Search
Local Search

You get lost - the mobile can show you a map of the way home.
Need a beer - the mobile will show you the nearest bars
Want the cheapest burgers in the area - the mobile will know

City, town and local search-related domains are my bet for the success of .mobi

 

[-db-]

The mobile Internet is an infant, so anything is possible in the future. I think .Mobi will catch on from a development standpoint, the question is to what degree...

One thing common sense dictates, is that shorter is better. No matter how advanced mobile devices become, they will still have small little keyboards, so having a short (easy to enter) url would seem to be very important, yes?

 

[GoPC]

It didn't say it would be exclusive... I did

Google's mobile search was put in place before mobi.... coincidence? I don't think so. Google is also a huge investor in mobi.

I think the circumstances IMPLY that mobi sites will be preferred if not exlusive... IF any site will work fine (which is not true), then why make the option abailable?

While the desktop internet is traveling farther into the rhelm of flash, java and database driven php/asp and other creative and powerful deisgn techniques it is at the same time travelling farther and farther away from Mobiles.

The pieces are starting to fall togehter.

Manfucturer to build the phone and set the design, softkeys and software to point to .mobi

Service Providers to carry, segragate and itemize the mobile internet to ensure and control delivery of .mobi

Content providers vested heavily in developing a parallel platform on which the services they offer to the bulk of the internet can be focused down and delivered via .mobi

Major retail corporations signalling their support, confidence and necessity of having .mobi

There are Parking sites that stipulate which sites they will or won't accept. Sales sites that say what is allowed and what is not... why is it difficult to consider that the very people that control the manufacturing, programming, delivery and marketing of the mobil internet wont?

Verizon... not even a partner of mobi... ALREADY DOES THIS in their own Intranet system. Which both explains why they opted not to be part of .mobi and validates the existance of .mobi

They're now competitors.

So what I read when I say Google's mobile content returns, is the other shoe dropping. The .mobi assimilation has begun.

GoPC

 

[stscac]

As I see it the .mobi extension in itself or developed does not change the way I search the net on my phone now.

Understandable, but since you've got the hardware to support more mainstream sites (aka larger screen than most phones, qwerty fulltext keyboard, etc) I think it definitely gives you a bias.

I'm not disregarding your opinion, but I've been trying to look at it for the good of the majority since day one.

There were a lot of nay-sayers prior to the release of mobi, but since, for the most part, I haven't seen that much doubt.

Granted, we're currently in a primarily speculative state at the moment in a industry that employs high speculation, I think mobi will pull out strong.

How many of you have heard about the Yahoo Mobile Advertising? Bango is behind it.

After writing an article about the future success of the .mobi namespace, I got several comments, one being from the CEO of Bango, Ray Anderson.

Opinions are opinions, I suppose.

We'll see how this one plays out.

-Steve

 

[izo-pod]

Why you need to buy a .mobi name soon

http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/devt/7F24F202FEA5A527CC257201006B47FD


Interesting article...apologize if it's been posted, but I thought the following extracts would highlight why I definitely think .mobi will take off:

“People are starting to see that there’s a whole other internet out there that’s accessible via these smaller devices ... particularly in Asia where two-thirds of all internet access is through a mobile device.”

"Sports leagues have been acquiring .mobi names, too,” says Tommy Ho, product manager at CSC Corporate Domains. “It’s a good fit for sports leagues, because they don’t have to sign a deal with a network carrier to get at mobile web users. They can set up their own .mobi sites. That’s a big plus.”

“The .mobi registry is monitoring the content for viewability on mobile devices, so if you redirect to a .com site that uses frames that are likely to break on a mobile device they will cut you off,” Wittenberg explains. “They want content that can be reliably obtained on a mobile device or no content at all.”

 

[binaryman]

Mobile handsets will themselves be changing rapidly to easier fascilitate mobile internet. Philips has a prototype cellphone with a flexible roll-out screen already. Also plug-in glasses with overhead display are in the making for cellphones.The future is big and it's definitely mobile.
http://www.google.nl/search?hl=nl&q=mobile+future&btnG=Google+zoeken&meta=

 

[allnicksgone]

The sensible thing would be for the carriers to really lower their prices on surfing the net with a mobile, then it would be far more attractive to the public. If that happened throughout, then even I would be looking at .mobi with renewed interest.

I don't know what anybody else pays, but Verizon only charges me $4.99 USD per month and I use it to surf the net all the time. I think $4.99 is reasonable for most people.

 

[domaindigger]

People are only considering internet via mobile phones and cellular networks. What about internet via your PDA and WiFi (or WiMAX)? (PDA + WiFi + Skype = free mobile phone.) .mobi domains will still apply because PDA screens are similar to mobile phone screens. With 4 times as many mobile phones as PC's, and a growing number of PDA's with WiFi access, the .mobi domain is here to stay and it will be ubiquitous amongst mobile users. At the beginning, there will be confusion as to whether a user should go to the .com or the .mobi on their mobile phone/PDA. But once they start noticing the obvious pattern that not all .com's show up nicely on their mobile's yet ALL .mobi's display beautifully, they will instinctively stop using .com and default to the defacto .mobi standard. That's why the success of .mobi is inevitable now that is has been officially launched. Whether .mobi should have been launched or not is a moot point. It is here and it is going to explode. If you're still in doubt, take a quick trip to Japan and South Korea, they're 5 years ahead of us.

 

[gamehouse]

If it is that easy to predict what masses would do with a particular technology, I believe all the companies can save millions of dollars in so called market research.

GH
P.S: Contrary to popular belief, a moot point is the point to start more debate.

People are only considering internet via mobile phones and cellular networks. What about internet via your PDA and WiFi (or WiMAX)? (PDA + WiFi + Skype = free mobile phone.) .mobi domains will still apply because PDA screens are similar to mobile phone screens. With 4 times as many mobile phones as PC's, and a growing number of PDA's with WiFi access, the .mobi domain is here to stay and it will be ubiquitous amongst mobile users. At the beginning, there will be confusion as to whether a user should go to the .com or the .mobi on their mobile phone/PDA. But once they start noticing the obvious pattern that not all .com's show up nicely on their mobile's yet ALL .mobi's display beautifully, they will instinctively stop using .com and default to the defacto .mobi standard. That's why the success of .mobi is inevitable now that is has been officially launched. Whether .mobi should have been launched or not is a moot point. It is here and it is going to explode. If you're still in doubt, take a quick trip to Japan and South Korea, they're 5 years ahead of us.

 

[newton]

I don't know what anybody else pays, but Verizon only charges me $4.99 USD per month and I use it to surf the net all the time. I think $4.99 is reasonable for most people.

$4.99 is very reasonable for unlimited access the net and I would have loved to see those prices in the UK and Europe. Spain is on par with the UK for the worst prices going.

In the UK, I was with Vodafone until only recently and I would connect to the net maybe 8/9 times a day. With Vodafone offering a flat monthly fee of $3 to surf the net, I thought hey.. this is great news. First month I came away with an additional $200 bill on top of my normal bill just for surfing the net. It was costing 50c just to connect each time.

What is everyone else paying for unlimited internet surfing via their mobile per month and what carriers you using?

 

[harkster]

For a lot of reasons the mobile thing will not be good for me personally without a first class voice recogination system.

With that being said I have been converted into a believer in the future of this technology. You need to think 'out of the box' here. I really wish I was 15 years younger to see this develop.

If you don't believe me go take a look at the Microsoft Zune trademark. The future wireless world will be much, much more than a cell phone.

And oh yes Local, Local, Local -- I own KCMO-mobi which is much better than KansasCity-mobi

Above is JMHO