MikeHunt
December 15th, 2004, 12:11 PM
New Domain Names Get Preliminary Okay
Tue Dec 14, 2:03 PM ET
Jay Wrolstad, wireless.newsfactor.com
Two new domain names are a step closer to joining the list of Internet addresses with their preliminary approval by ICANN (news - web sites) (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), an international Internet standards organization.
The domains .mobi and .jobs have passed Initial inspection following an independent evaluation process launched earlier this year, ICANN said. They join .post and .travel, designed for postal services and travel businesses, which earned preliminary approval from the organization in October.
Wireless Internet Comes of Age
The two most recent appellations are aimed at the ever-expanding wireless industry and employment services. They would join the familiar .com, .org. and .gov domain names.
Spearheading the campaign for a mobile "top level domain" are Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT - news), Nokia (news - web sites) (NYSE: NOK - news), Vodafone, Sun Microsystems (Nasdaq: SUNW - news) and the GSM Association. The companies will establish a registry to manage the distribution of mobile domain names, upon approval.
The request reflects a feeling that Web browsing on next-generation wireless networks and advanced devices is reaching maturity. A mobile domain name is seen by the consortium as a critical step in bridging the world of mobility and the Internet, which will benefit end-users and industry players.
Targeting an Audience
"The principal aim is to simplify Web access and navigation for mobile users," Vodafone spokesperson Ben Padovan told NewsFactor. With a domain name like .mobi, developers can create sites specifically targeted at mobile users and devices, while the users themselves could establish e-mail addresses for mobile phones or smartphones that combine voice communication with PDA functionality.
"This helps legitimize the mobile Internet and creates a recognized name to access content on smaller devices," IDC analyst Keith Waryas told NewsFactor. "The true value of third-generation wireless services is accessing content, and having that content formatted for the devices."
The availability of WAP and HTML browsing capabilities has led to increased mobile-Internet access, but the full Web experience thus far has eluded mobile users, Yankee Group analyst John Jackson told NewsFactor.
"This has the potential to let developers channel content and to build awareness of the mobile space among developers," he said. "It could also lend some structure to mobile Web browsing by defining the mobile realm."
A Laborious Process
ICANN oversees technical matters related to the Internet and has been considering a pool of ten applications for new sponsored top-level domains.
The way a top-level domain gets created is a complex process that involves governing bodies and lobbyists, much like the process of a bill becoming law. For the current crop of domain name suffixes, ICANN chose an independent project manager and recruited panels of experts to judge the applications.
The applications were tested in the areas of technical competence, business and financial sufficiency, and whether the top-level domain belonged to a sponsored community. Any applicant that failed to meet all the criteria was given the opportunity to respond to perceived deficiencies.
The next step, according to ICANN, will be commercial and technical negotiations with the candidate registries. During these talks with the domain name applicants, ICANN will examine how .jobs would be differentiated in the name space and address possible conflicts between .mobi and existing telephone numbering systems.
Tue Dec 14, 2:03 PM ET
Jay Wrolstad, wireless.newsfactor.com
Two new domain names are a step closer to joining the list of Internet addresses with their preliminary approval by ICANN (news - web sites) (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), an international Internet standards organization.
The domains .mobi and .jobs have passed Initial inspection following an independent evaluation process launched earlier this year, ICANN said. They join .post and .travel, designed for postal services and travel businesses, which earned preliminary approval from the organization in October.
Wireless Internet Comes of Age
The two most recent appellations are aimed at the ever-expanding wireless industry and employment services. They would join the familiar .com, .org. and .gov domain names.
Spearheading the campaign for a mobile "top level domain" are Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT - news), Nokia (news - web sites) (NYSE: NOK - news), Vodafone, Sun Microsystems (Nasdaq: SUNW - news) and the GSM Association. The companies will establish a registry to manage the distribution of mobile domain names, upon approval.
The request reflects a feeling that Web browsing on next-generation wireless networks and advanced devices is reaching maturity. A mobile domain name is seen by the consortium as a critical step in bridging the world of mobility and the Internet, which will benefit end-users and industry players.
Targeting an Audience
"The principal aim is to simplify Web access and navigation for mobile users," Vodafone spokesperson Ben Padovan told NewsFactor. With a domain name like .mobi, developers can create sites specifically targeted at mobile users and devices, while the users themselves could establish e-mail addresses for mobile phones or smartphones that combine voice communication with PDA functionality.
"This helps legitimize the mobile Internet and creates a recognized name to access content on smaller devices," IDC analyst Keith Waryas told NewsFactor. "The true value of third-generation wireless services is accessing content, and having that content formatted for the devices."
The availability of WAP and HTML browsing capabilities has led to increased mobile-Internet access, but the full Web experience thus far has eluded mobile users, Yankee Group analyst John Jackson told NewsFactor.
"This has the potential to let developers channel content and to build awareness of the mobile space among developers," he said. "It could also lend some structure to mobile Web browsing by defining the mobile realm."
A Laborious Process
ICANN oversees technical matters related to the Internet and has been considering a pool of ten applications for new sponsored top-level domains.
The way a top-level domain gets created is a complex process that involves governing bodies and lobbyists, much like the process of a bill becoming law. For the current crop of domain name suffixes, ICANN chose an independent project manager and recruited panels of experts to judge the applications.
The applications were tested in the areas of technical competence, business and financial sufficiency, and whether the top-level domain belonged to a sponsored community. Any applicant that failed to meet all the criteria was given the opportunity to respond to perceived deficiencies.
The next step, according to ICANN, will be commercial and technical negotiations with the candidate registries. During these talks with the domain name applicants, ICANN will examine how .jobs would be differentiated in the name space and address possible conflicts between .mobi and existing telephone numbering systems.