Kind of a marketing gimmick, don't ya think?
Out of the millions and millions, perhaps billions of all the sum total of domain names registered, how many have actually been developed into a web site?
Knowing full well that a strong and viable .mobi presence, market, and deployment is still perhaps 1-2 years away, who do they think they are kidding by claiming they were reserving these domains for development?
They knew full well going into this that there is a boom in the domain real estate market and a vast majority of domain name registrations are purely speculative and an investment by folks like us, domainers.
They know the power of generics and know the interest is present and can see the revenue each premium domain has the potential to generate.
If you really want to see some fireworks, why won't ICANN auction off the one and two character dot coms that they are hoarding?
Marketing Strategy? Yes
Intelligent? Yes, Yes, Yes!
Why?
dotMobi also allocates premium names thru RFP (and several other allocation mechanisms.)
But the key is the
Request for Proposals (RFP) Process
The following & hundreds more will be awarded thru the RFP process.
news.mobi
ringtones.mobi
sports.mobi
weather.mobi
Evaluation Criteria:
The receipents of these domains will have to show the mTLD they are currently involved in the respective industry, provide a business plan that shows launch dates for each Premium .mobi site.
dotMobi will review the submitted proposals per the evaluation criteria included in the application and will announce winning proposals March 2007. Contract discussions will then commence with the winning applicants.
Look, this provides an opportunity to develop critical mobile user content in order to promote the adoption and use of the .mobi domains.
Remember the end users will be participating in these .mobi Sedo Auctions.
Keep in mind at the Hollywood TRAFFIC in October, the CEO of 1-800-Flowers (Flowers.com) placed a $190,000 bid
for Flowers.mobi......
The SEDO auctions should be called the
Battle of the EndUsers for the .Mobi Holy Grail!
I'm excited!
Michael