.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

 

[AdoptableDomains]

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.

I have verizon at the same $4.99. However, it's not unlimited. all minutes surfing go against your monthly minutes as far as i can tell. It's not the fast broadband service which is more like $79, and is painfully slow even at small mobile pages.

 

[gamehouse]

There you go. I was surprised to see the previous post. None of that kind of plans any more in Canada for that matter.

I have verizon at the same $4.99. However, it's not unlimited. all minutes surfing go against your monthly minutes as far as i can tell. It's not the broadband service which is more like $79, and is painfully slow even at small mobile pages.

 

[Binfus]

As soon as mobile networks start to see Ad$$$ and other as yet untapped revenue sources (as yet even un-tought of by the likes of us) and begin competing for that, the plan prices will come tumbling down ....again, read in this another rationale why so many industry giants are clamoring together for this little .mobi thingy...!

 

[GoPC]

As soon as mobile networks start to see Ad$$$ and other as yet untapped revenue sources (as yet even un-tought of by the likes of us) and begin competing for that, the plan prices will come tumbling down ....again, read in this another rationale why so many industry giants are clamoring together for this little .mobi thingy...!

You beat me to it You are exactly right... With ad revenues (remember, those that control the content are investors in mobi) they can and will provide an "internet plan" of some kind for portables use. Be it flat rate unlimited or a packaged minute plan as we have now with standard cellular... it will come.

As a side note, I too have Verizon and the internet package... you PAY for the access AND you pay for the minutes. If it were a $5 flat rate, I'd be all over it... as it is, I surf very inrequently simply because of cost.

But when I do... I appreciate the fact that Verizon has packaged all it's pre-programmed, pre search filtered, pre-catagorized, mobile friendly sites for quick and easy access.

Hmmm... kinda sounds like what mobi is supposed to be. Only NOT in a closed network like Verizon.

GoPC

 

[izo-pod]

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

Above is JMHO

Yup... Smart move. The shorter the better.

 

[Binfus]

The .mobi is nothing more than an extension used to promote a mind set not an advancement at all in itself.

While there could be (and is) a genuine debate on the merits of this statement per se....even if (for a moment) one accepts this as true: "mindset" is nothing to be underestimated; afterall, whats the difference between .com and all the rest? ....every other extension (.biz, .info, etc) works exactly the same on PCs. For what its worth, in the "PC web" SEs don't give preferential rankings based on the extension, whereas there's almost a certainty of them (at least some BIG ones) doing so on the "mobile web". While the backers/investors of .mobi are publicly claiming the technical reasons for its need and while one should not lightly dismiss them off on this, at the end it might be their power and clout to create this "mindset" which proves to be more instrumental in this extension's adoption and success.

 

[Kate]

As soon as mobile networks start to see Ad$$$ and other as yet untapped revenue sources (as yet even un-tought of by the likes of us) and begin competing for that, the plan prices will come tumbling down ....again, read in this another rationale why so many industry giants are clamoring together for this little .mobi thingy...!

How do you assume plan prices will be coming down ?
I think that the 'mindset' of some of the .mobi domainers is too much hype-oriented at present, and as a result, dubious assumptions are made, like the .mobi button as default ext. etc. At present it's nothing more than speculation and wishful thinking.
Of course I can agree with your line of thinking, logic would have it that mobile Internet becomes more affordable but it would mean a decrease in revenue for carriers even if they compensate with increased volume. I don't see it happen just for the sake of promoting an extension.
As for untapped revenue... revenue will remain marginal until the crowds go mobile en masse..

It is very significant that during the whole .mobi promotion campaign nothing has been said about the true impediments to mobile Internet.
Mobile Internet is not a techical issue, it has never been as the technology is already there and has been there for a long time.

The obstacles to mobile Internet are:
- lack of contents
- lack of dedicated/tailored websites (of course websites should be tailored to tiny devices I am not denying that)
- airtime pricing
- not all devices are enabled
+ other factors which are a bit outside the scope

So the real question is: how is .mobi going to change the landscape for mobile users ? So far the only thing that may help is that .mobi registrants will have to design mobile-accessible sites but that's all. You can still opt out and not register any .mobi or accommodate mobile devices using the old .com.
What are the actual incentives for catering specifically to mobiles ? At the very best we could say that .mobi is just laying the path for others to follow. I've been saying .mobi will create more confusion that help, of course we could do more to promote mobile Internet but right now it's not a technology fix that is needed. As I said above there are a series of importants steps needed to make technology more affordable. For one thing, airtime needs to get cheaper (the first argument). Until costs come down significantly people will refrain from surfing mobile.
It won't happen overnight. It's an economic issue here. It could become a political issue. For instance the EU has intervened to slash down roaming prices. I am not commenting on the EU intervention, I just note that mobile operators are not bent on cutting costs unless they are under heavy pressure to do so.
So... plan prices coming down thanks to .mobi... I would not expect such a thing :imho:

 

[GoPC]

The obstacles to mobile Internet are:
- lack of contents
- lack of dedicated/tailored websites (of course websites should be tailored to tiny devices I am not denying that)
- airtime pricing
- not all devices are enabled
+ other factors which are a bit outside the scope

You bring up some valid points... that very lack of definition is why so much speculating is going on. If the new extension was all that it is supposed to be, why the additional and vague wording, the constant "compliance reviews" and the threat of loosing one's domain if not found in compliance?

It lends itself to speculation. But then again, the buying and marketing of ALL domains is speculation. That's the game.

But on to your obstacles to the Mobile Intenet...

1 - lack of content.

Content Providers, some of the largest, most influential content manipulators in the world are involved.

2 - lack of compliant websites. The afore mentioned compliant review system will police that. Also note that well over 100K domains have been purchased by businesses for use on the mobile web according to a mobi spokesman.

3 - airtime pricing. Again, the major backers and investors of .mobi are the carriers. They may be looking to an increase in airtime revenues as a short term benefit to the .mobi growth curve but just as airtime plans have continued to come down over the years, so will data based airtime. It's already happeneing.

4 - Not all devices are enabled.... true, but again, Device Manufacturers are behind mobi. Don't think for a moment that there won't be a bigger push to enable them. Even so, there will still be a customer base that doesn't want mobile web... so be it, there will be a phone for them. But for the rest, still in excess of 300% MORE USERS THAN DESKTOPS, there will be the onset of newer, enabled cellphones and other portable devices.

Common sense and the sheer smell of the very air we breathe tells you that these guys made a decisive, committed action when they invested in .mobi that is well beyond regs fees and just another new extension. There is a plan, that we have yet to see, in place that was created for the sole purpose of mazimizing the profit potential from the mobi internet domain system.

You can bet your life on it... Massively wealthy CEO's of these huge corporations certainly did.

GoPC

 

[Badger]

Ya, like others i use my mobile for email, email, email.. That and watching football video action from latest matches and catching up with the news..

Cant see me ever buying anything..

 

[Binfus]

Ya, like others i use my mobile for email, email, email.. That and watching football video action from latest matches and catching up with the news..

Cant see me ever buying anything..

Some excerpts from an online article I was reading recently:

In the US, a cellphone is a tool. In Europe, a mobile phone is a lifestyle.

One of the most pronounced differences between mobile use in the US and Europe is that Europe has a more developed mobile phone culture........ people in Europe expect the mobile to play a more prominent, recognized role in the structure of society, and many people look to the mobile as a central source of new innovations.

People in the US can be just as enthusiastic about mobilizing technology, but they often think in terms of shrinking and mobilizing the PC and Internet, rather than growing the cellphone. In the US, the cellphone is often viewed as a necessary tool rather than something to love.

Speaking of SMS, it's vastly more popular in Europe than it is in the US. Some of this difference is generational – young people in the US are much more likely to use SMS, whereas it's extremely rare among older Americans. Some of the difference is also training – most Americans don't have a clue how to enter text on a keypad.

Mobile phone services and features in Japan and Korea make both Americans and Europeans look like techno-hicks.

:blink:

 

[gamehouse]

There seem to be a little problem with this argument.

The discussion (pro .mobi) here makes me think of a picture where .mobi is the postion of the head and then all other companies and everything else is behind that head pushing the head forward with all might. Or its made to look like that.

1. Lack of content: Sure there is lack of content and there will be lack of content in future. How much content can a website pack in mobile page anyway. Internet usage on mobile platforms is very restricted to small corner of various needs. And it will probably like that for a long time to come.

2. Internet enabled devices: Most of the latest hi end phones are internet enabled. Trust me, my research on forums like howard forums gives me an idea that except cell phone enthusiasts, very few other people are buying a cell phone every year.

3. IMO, the most important thing is money returns. For my mind, I do not see how easy or doable is to earn money on .mobi sites. What kind of ad formats, links? and stuff like that. Yes, I know that big companies are backing up .mobi. I believe they have no other option. For example, google can not say, nah, this time I will be out. Or Microsoft or Nokia. Some times the businesses have to venture out for the sake of presense. Also for that matter any little new thing that they can use to penetrate more into newer areas is always good for them.

I am all for .mobi too, when it takes off and makes money for domainers and companies alike, great. I would like to fast forward to 2 years, around this time, and would like to see how many names will be renewed and what is the state of the art of mobile internet usage using .mobi sites.

My 2 cents,

GH

You bring up some valid points... that very lack of definition is why so much speculating is going on. If the new extension was all that it is supposed to be, why the additional and vague wording, the constant "compliance reviews" and the threat of loosing one's domain if not found in compliance?

It lends itself to speculation. But then again, the buying and marketing of ALL domains is speculation. That's the game.

But on to your obstacles to the Mobile Intenet...

1 - lack of content.

Content Providers, some of the largest, most influential content manipulators in the world are involved.

2 - lack of compliant websites. The afore mentioned compliant review system will police that. Also note that well over 100K domains have been purchased by businesses for use on the mobile web according to a mobi spokesman.

3 - airtime pricing. Again, the major backers and investors of .mobi are the carriers. They may be looking to an increase in airtime revenues as a short term benefit to the .mobi growth curve but just as airtime plans have continued to come down over the years, so will data based airtime. It's already happeneing.

4 - Not all devices are enabled.... true, but again, Device Manufacturers are behind mobi. Don't think for a moment that there won't be a bigger push to enable them. Even so, there will still be a customer base that doesn't want mobile web... so be it, there will be a phone for them. But for the rest, still in excess of 300% MORE USERS THAN DESKTOPS, there will be the onset of newer, enabled cellphones and other portable devices.

Common sense and the sheer smell of the very air we breathe tells you that these guys made a decisive, committed action when they invested in .mobi that is well beyond regs fees and just another new extension. There is a plan, that we have yet to see, in place that was created for the sole purpose of mazimizing the profit potential from the mobi internet domain system.

You can bet your life on it... Massively wealthy CEO's of these huge corporations certainly did.

GoPC

 

[Jo]

Why is it so expensive to surf the net here on our phones?

Is it cheaper for customers overseas?

 

[allnicksgone]

I have verizon at the same $4.99. However, it's not unlimited. all minutes surfing go against your monthly minutes as far as i can tell. It's not the fast broadband service which is more like $79, and is painfully slow even at small mobile pages.

You can get Vcast for $15 a month and it includes the internet which does not count against your minutes. If you live in an area with EVDO, the browser is fairly fast on the phone, but not nearly as good as broadband.

 

[thaiboy]

I believed phone makers will finally break the technology barrier because there're tons of money in mobile devices, then the service cost will be cheap oneday and go mainstream.

Also, not everyone could have pc or laptops, but almost everyone could have cellphones because they are getting cheaper and cheaper, even sometimes they're free. And another reason, cellphone is a must for almost everyone for working in this age.

 

[ezinaz]

You can get Vcast for $15 a month and it includes the internet which does not count against your minutes. If you live in an area with EVDO, the browser is fairly fast on the phone, but not nearly as good as broadband.

I have vCast.mobi. I'm waiting for the lawyers to beat down my door!

 

[GoPC]

I have vCast.mobi. I'm waiting for the lawyers to beat down my door!

LOL!!! There are much faster ways to get visits from Legal folks.

I snagged MyFlix.mobi

GoPC

except cell phone enthusiasts, very few other people are buying a cell phone every year.

This is the only potential conflict that I can see occurring for the investors of mobi... Not that phone users don't buy a phone every year (lord knows I've broken a few and needed more than 1 per year) but because most users sign CONTRACTS that lock them into a service for more than one year. No contracts and I believe we'd be seeing users jumping from one service to another... alot... and with each jump, new phones.

To that end, I think some folks are simply living with old phones because they are waiting for their term to end so they can switch carriers and get that new phone.

Sure, upgrades are available but as always, its a matter of money. My last phone cost me $300 clams!!! I would love to get the next best phone, but I gotta get my money's worth out of this one first! LOL!!!

MORAL OF THIS STORY: Pay for the extra phone insurance if you're like me and break phones alot

GoPC

 

[sf2010]

Hmmm.

2 years = typical mobile phone contract period
2 years = minimum mobi reg period

coincidence? maybe or maybe not. my thoughts are:

1. We all know that cell phone market has reached a saturation point (at least in the developed world). So what will carriers must do to create additional revenue stream?

2. It started with text messaging and ringtones in the beginning; and the big next push will be to signup "broadband" data contracts (which has one of the highest profit margins).

3. But how do you lower the cost of data contracts without jeopardizing carrier's profit margins? And how do you get consumers excited enough to dump their existing phones and spend more money? Marketing 101 says offer something unique. I think that is where mobi comes in. Rather than "encouraging" .com and other sites to create mobile-compatible sites (cons: takes time and "excitement" marketing will be hampered) dotMobi is "dictating " that mobi sites be coded specifically for mobile devices.


In 2 years time, most of the legacy cellphones would have been replaced with new ones (more feature, more power, etc.) with infrastructure to support heavy data usage. And there will be many "cool" .mobi sites encouraging the masses to signup.

In addition, with convergence of email, internet, and media functions into a single device (a la palm treo 700), I can even envision a day in the near future where I can plug in my Treo 1000 at a cafe (for large screen and keyboard) to conduct business.

With technology evolving faster and faster each year, who knows where .com vs .mobi battles will take us? As someone who takes calculated risks, I am simply hedging by investing in both mobi and other TLD domains today.

My 2 cents.

 

[Carlton]

... In addition, with convergence of email, internet, and media functions into a single device (a la palm treo 700), I can even envision a day in the near future where I can plug in my Treo 1000 at a cafe (for large screen and keyboard) to conduct business.

I think your vision is correct. AMP mobile is already pushing the limit of the handheld device/phone. Not so much about .mobi as it is a logical evolution of media convergence: portable, wireless, broadband, unlimited. Good point about plugging into "bigger screen". What about projection too on a flat surface or personal monitors worn like eyeglasses (like headphones)?

If .mobi becomes a logical piece of the mini devices internet access, then all current skepticism will be exposed as others' historical lack of foresight.

 

[binaryman]

See the Philips prototype mobile. The future for large roll-up mobile TV screens.
http://www.engadget.com/2005/08/31/philips-to-show-readius-rollable-display-prototype/

 

[-db-]

If .mobi becomes a logical piece of the mini devices internet access, then all current skepticism will be exposed as others' historical lack of foresight.

Carlton, you smooth talker... you sure have a way with words. :gl:

 

[movingconcierge]

Well, it's not going to directly. My speculation is that the monolithic financial backers have something in mind. Like making .mobi the default extension in their .mobi search engines. I can't think of another logical reason why both M and G would collude on the same technology venture, can you?

So the real question is: how is .mobi going to change the landscape for mobile users ?

 

[AdoptableDomains]

Well, it's not going to directly. My speculation is that the monolithic financial backers have something in mind. Like making .mobi the default extension in their .mobi search engines. I can't think of another logical reason why both M and G would collude on the same technology venture, can you?

Good point. One possible reason is that advertisers will pay more for specific market segments that will net them more customers. A seller of something related to being mobile will likely pay more for a mobile click than a home one. For example, a mobile web check for a wrecker service is more likely to be someone needing it NOW because they are stranded than a click from a home or work computer. A click on a mobile restaurant site is probably for someone in the car looking for a place to eat within minutes or hours. getting that click from a mobile user may result in a quicker turnover to a sale and be worth more.


MS also has another reason. they write O/S software for mobile phones. The more features are added, the more version updates they can sell to the phone makers.

Slightly off this discussion, I remembered speculation before the new proposals were public that some might be used for new purposes and screen size formatting. I was wrong on the extensions, but not too far off on a mobile format with custom screen size formats. Here is that post from March 2004. I speculated a .cel and .pda as possibilities.
http://www.namepros.com/domain-name-discussion/22778-new-uses-for-tlds.html

 

[Carlton]

Carlton, you smooth talker... you sure have a way with words. :gl:

I may actually be full of _____. :lol:

 

[labrocca]

You have to think outside the box (or in a small box).

1. You are at a sporting event...you can go to the .mobi for extra stats..maybe live extensive stats of each player. You can lookup game histories as well.

2. You are out at Best Buy. You see what you think is a great deal on a dvd player...you look it up a .mobi tech review site. You see that the price isn't that good and the reviews for the item are terrible. You pass and feel that you just saved some money.

3. You are driving around on a date...suddenly you guys decide you want to see a movie. You head over to movie.mobi to see what's hot, the schedules, locations, and reviews of the movies.

4. You are in a bar debating with your friends about trivia...you place your bet that it was person X in a movie...head over to imdb.mobi and get the authoritative answer.

I am sure I can come up with even more. To think your phone and .mobi will be only usable to buy things is silly. The web is geared more for information than anything else. Eventually as people get comfortable using their internet phones..purchases may become big as well.

I can think of one important tool....while at work you may use your phone to buy something online. Your work computer is firewalled so you need to use your phone instead. You also may not want your boss to know how much time you spend online so instead you just use your phone.

Oh so many possibilities. Now don't get me wrong...this isn't a .mobi endorsement. Any cell phone and domain can be used for all of the above. I just think it's limited of a person not to realize the potential of the internet phone.

 

[mobidick]

I like your thinking Jesse...

it is exactly that kind of creative imagination that will evolve the mobile internet into more than just a tool, but a further lifestyle shaping reality.

We tend to forget that the internet has only really just begun in the past decade, and has already revolutionized our world from banking to shopping to traveling to advertising to publishing.

I see .mobi as a springboard for the mobile extension of this internet revolution; only time will tell to what extent mobile will mean small vs big screens, but over time mobile technology will surely lead to larger screens (plug-in screens, screens in cars, fold-out screens, etc.) and if that should happen sooner rather than later then .mobi may lose in its bid for being the default.

My money however is on .mobi playing a bridging role in bringing mobile users to gradually go for it as they see more and more useful content come to their phones. Eventually data plans will surely come down in price as people's interest in mobile content converges with advertisers finding their mobile audience. I think this will largely play itself out locally, which is why I invested in city domains, as well as the fact that is where mobile access is already prevalent.

IMHO part of the high price of mobile internet access is artificial, especially in America where mobile companies don't provide phones that can tap into wifi hotspots. Consider the Nokia E62 which is the American version of Europes E61 - guess which one has built-in wifi - right, the one you can't get in America... yet. So there is already a segment that has wifi enabled pda's and smartphones that can access the internet but still with a pretty limited screen size. Some cities are now even considering providing free wifi zones and Google has also made moves in that direction.

Anyways, the coming decade will be very interesting. As said before the internet is still in its infancy and we need to think ahead. And keep in mind that the next Microsoft or Yahoo or Google could be just waiting to be hatched - perhaps out of your brain.