I agree with your predictions except for the last point.
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predictions:
1) WLS is denied by the ICANN Board by this time next week.
2) SnapNames downsizes, and reduces its price for SnapBacks back to
$49. I don't think they'll go bankrupt, as they have a great service,
although it should not be a monopoly service in my opinion (thus my
opposition to WLS). The downsizing would mostly affect the "political"
employees of SnapNames (i.e. those mostly doing non-technical lobbying
activities), so I don't see this as a bad thing, because those
employees aren't truly "productive" in an economic sense, producing
valuable goods and services for consumers. I expect them to end up with
15 or so employees, a tight group.
3) SnapNames probably introduces an auction service for domain
resellers/buyers to complement their SnapBacks (i.e. competing against
GreatDomains and Afternic), and becomes the top auction marketplace.
4) Verisign renegotiates its R&D commitments of $200 million with
ICANN, to save money (I think they can get it down to $100 million with
not many people caring).
5) The expired names marketplace sees more and more competition and
innovation, with benefits to registrars and consumers.
6) Verisign eventually gets bought out by IBM or Microsoft, for under
$2 billion (2 or 3 year time frame).
