Numeric Domains

Develolping Your Business for the Next Four Billion

Entrepreneurs are constantly challenged to maintain and grow their businesses. It's no longer enough to idle along with the status quo if you plan on being around next month, next quarter or next year, especially if your business depends on the wireless ecosystem.

The World Resources Institute, along with their colleagues at the Global Challenge Network  and Harvard's John F. Kennedy school of government, have published an insightful report detailing the global social and economic impact of the Base of the Economic Pyramid, better known as BOP.

The above graph is explained as follows:

Four billion people form the base of the economic pyramid (BOP) -- those with annual incomes below $3,000 (in local purchasing power).

The BOP makes up 72 percent of the 5,575 million people recorded by available national household surveys worldwide and an overwhelming majority of the population in the developing countries of Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean -- home to nearly all the BOP.

This large segment of humanity faces significant unmet needs and lives in relative poverty: in current U.S. dollars their incomes are less than $3.35 a day in Brazil, $2.11 in China, $1.89 in Ghana, and $1.56 in India.

Yet together they have substantial purchasing power: the BOP constitutes a $5 trillion global consumer market.

Even though the report is not about wireless technology per se, it does help us to understand the indisputable fact that the worlds developing countries will drive major portions of the economic and social landscapes. This fact is certainly uppermost in the minds of many a Fortune 500 companies' CEO's.

Sun Microsystems' CEO, Jonathan Schwartz, shared his views on the importance of BOP in this Next Billion video segment (scroll to the bottom of the correct page).

As BOP users gain access to mobile devices and become more comfortable using them as tools to enhance their social and economic activities, I see a tremendous opportunity  for the inclusion and use of numeric domains as a way to more easily access the wireless internet.

Crispy Mobilistas Paid "Per Tap"?

Master spinmeister and CEO of Crisp Wireless, Boris Fridman, continues to weave his mLogic magic. His quarry this time around is the inimitable A & E Television Network, capably represented by Senior VP spokesthingy, Paul Jelinek.

Boris and Paul have just announced their partnership to take several AETV channels mobile.

Paul said: “This initiative is a great way for us to extend our consumer’s passion for our brands and programming to a mobile audience. We look forward to working closely with Crisp to create branded mobile experiences that our audiences can take with them on the go.” 

To which Boris replied: “A&E Television Networks has a long reputation for creating quality programming that inspires fans to stay tuned. Now they can stay tuned wherever they go. We are extremely pleased to work with AETN to help them build a mobile advertising channel.”

Kool. So far, so good. I love A & E!

To access the new mobile channels, all A & E's customers have to do is to open their cell phone internet browser (the http:// portion is usually pre-populated), and enter the URL of the channel of their choice. So for AETN, enter mobile.aetn.com. For the History Channel, enter mobile.history.com and for the Biography Channel, enter mobile.biography.com. Press 'send', 'call', 'go' (or other appropriate launch function) and you're taken directly to the channel of your choice. Simple right?

                                W R O N G !!!

Look, mobile is supposed to fun. It's supposed to be simple and enjoyable. What Boris and his merry band of Mobilistas have done is created an access system that is almost guaranteed to frustrate customers. Frustration leads to aggravation and aggravation leads to abandonment. And if customers abandon the A & E mobile program in sufficient numbers, Paul and his A & E bosses will not be happy campers.

On the majority of the world's cell phones, to type in mobile.aetn requires 22 input taps. Tap the '6' key once for the letter 'm', the cursor usually automatically moves to the next space, then tap the '6' key three times for the letter 'o', then tap the '2' key twice to get the letter 'b'... and so on. The 'dot' usually requires you to hold down the '1' key.

(The ".com" portion of the URL is common to every input method so it will be ignored here for comparison purposes).

To type in mobile.history requires 34 input taps, and

To type in mobile.biography also requires 34 input taps.

It's hard enough trying to type on those tine cell phone dial pads. Why does it have to be so complicated. There is a much easier way to access the mobile channels. It's by numeric domains.

If numeric domains were used, 'AETN' (2386) could be accessed by inputting only 4 vs. 22 inputs, 'History' (4478679) with only 7 vs. 34 inputs and 'Biography" (246472749) with only 9 vs. 34 inputs. If it's all about speed, fewer taps wins, thumbs down.

Here's a novel idea. If, as they elude to above, Boris and Paul want to provide a mobile experience wherever customers go, at least make it as easy as possible to get to where they want them to go. Give some thought to what the customer experience will be.

Stay tuned indeed.

Mobile video ‘gets interesting’

RCR Wireless News: Mark Donovan, senior analyst at M:Metrics Inc. reports that "mobile video is penetrating the market at a rate of 4%, indicating 9.2 million people watched some type of mobile video in the United States in November 2007. And that number represents a 60% increase over January 2007".

Video has long been “hampered with really poor quality,” but the adoption and buildout of 3G networks has improved quality tremendously".

Approximately 4 million wireless subscribers are watching programmed video on their mobile device, 3 million consumers are watching on-demand video and at least 1.7 million subscribers are watching broadcast services, Donovan said.

Still, real growth is in the offing. “Most people in the United States still haven’t seen or experienced someone watching video on their phone,” Donovan said. “To the extent that advertising can become a subsidizing mechanism here, we’ll see this market grow.”

According to M:Metrics’ data, the top 10 mobile video and TV genres (ranked highest to lowest) are movie trailers, music videos, sports action or news, comedy, weather, entertainment or celebrity news, news, full-length television or film, TV highlights and animation or cartoons.

This can bode well for numeric domains. As more people take advantage of these types of services, more easy to use domains will be required to facilitate easy access.

Stop the Presses! "Experts Predict Cell Phone Revolution"

Among the tasty morsels gleaned from this years World Economic Bunfest comes these juicy insider tidbits. And from no less a luminary than the grillionaire grand poobah of Google himself, Mr. Eric Schmidt.

Extolling the virtues of how the mobile Internet will eventually let advertisers tailor messages based on a user's location, Mr. Schmidt proffered these keen observations:

    "After all, they know where you are. You're driving along and it says, 'Eric, you had pizza yesterday and there's a hamburger stand on the right.' In theory location-based advertising will be a very good business and useful to the end user,".

    Schmidt was upbeat about the changing industry, predicting "a huge revolution."

    "It seems obvious that advertising, that works so well on the traditional Internet, should also work well on the mobile Internet,".

    "We need to create that framework in which the really creative people can build (mobile) applications that none of us can even imagine. That is the recreation of the Internet, the recreation of the PC story and it's very exciting. It'll happen in the next year. It will be big."

I betcha it's these kinds of insights that make Google huge and big.

Mobile Web Access? Add Numeric Domains to the URL Mix

As millions of people around the globe migrate to the wireless Web using their cellphones/mobiles, an emerging battle is brewing. It is being played out, largely under the radar, and is being promulgated and shaped by competing, yet parallel forces. There are thousands of businesses in a mad dash to deliver their goods, services and content (infotainment), to consumers via your wireless device. The race is on, and the key challenge is - how to get YOU, the mobile Web PAYING customer, to ACCESS mobile Web sites using their preferred method of access?

I'll try to clarify what this all means and how the various methods to access the mobile Web impact both content providers and consumers. In the end, the market will decide and the paying CUSTOMER will determine which way works best for them.

RCR Wireless News recently featured a story entitled "URL battle: m vs. .mobi.

Confusion still reigns in figuring out the best way to get to mobile Web".

I profess that the current slate of "expert" analysts, scribes and other gurus are missing a significant piece of the puzzle and that the headline should read:

"URL Access to the Mobile Web: What Works Best: Alpha, "m", .mobi or Numeric Domains?".

The RCR article is reproduced below in black lettering. My comments and observations are in color.

RCR: There is no shortage of reasons why traffic on the wireless Web hasn’t matched the sky-high forecasts of a few years ago. But one of the biggest stumbling blocks may also be the most overlooked.

A recent study from JupiterResearch found that nearly twothirds of mobile-phone subscribers worldwide don’t use their handsets to access the Internet.

By definition, this suggests that over one third of cellphone/mobile subscribers ARE using the wireless Web. With over 3 billion subscribers worldwide, one third is a significant number.

RCR: The market research firm called for an alternative to traditional browsers that would help users access information quickly, and said carriers could spur uptake by lowering mobile data prices.

Alternative browsers will not solve the challenge of easily accessing mobile Web sites. Competing platforms, competitive wireless operators and carriers, diverse hardware and software systems, not to mention the thousands of different wireless hand held devices, all suggest that the access issue be resolved at a much more fundamental level. It should be addressed at the level that makes the most sense to, and is easiest for the consumer to employ.

As much as we would all love to see data prices come down, lowering prices does NOT help users to access information more quickly.

RCR: “We’re not advocating the browser go away,” said analyst Julie Ask, “just that there should be an alternative for ‘glanceable’ content. “Consumers are willing to pay for good experiences and products. The industry should focus on this reality.”

Mobile browsers are not just going to "go away".

This issue surely goes well beyond just "glanceable" content. Consumers read books, watch movies, play games, watch sports and other activities via streaming media and generally surf the net far exceeding that which is only "glanceable". Consumers will pay for what I call a "beyond expectations" experience (starting with easy access), in order to enjoy the wireless Web.

RCR: Browser alternatives such as widgets or applets could allow users to access information with fewer clicks, JupiterResearch said, improving the user experience and helping to increase traffic overall. Such an application could help ease many of the pain points that accompany mobile phones, including the small screens and limited functionality of 12-key phones.

Widgets and applets will most certainly find their way into the wireless ecosystem, using fewer clicks, and make it easier for users to access the wireless Web. But again there are, and always will be, factors associated with hardware, software, browsers, screen size, resolution, bandwidth etc. that will complicate consumer education, acceptability and usage.

RCR: But how do you get there?  ;-)

But one of the biggest challenges on the wireless Web is the lack of a uniform URL format. The traditional Internet has thrived thanks to the familiar .com style (and a few variations, such as .net and .org), but the mobile industry still has yet to settle on a format.

We can all agree that there are many ways to skin this cat. But here is where I vehemently doth protest! The fact is...WE ALREADY HAVE A UNIFORM URL FORMAT! Lest that was not stated clearly enough:

           WE  ALREADY  HAVE  A  UNIFORM  URL  FORMAT!

They're called TLD's or top level domains. They include .com, .net, .org etc., and Country Code, or ccTLD's. They were designed from the very start to enable anyone, anywhere on the planet to access the Web. By extension, anyone with a cellphone/ mobile device and a wireless connection, should also be able to access any properly formatted Web site using those same TLD's.

The fact is, we don't need a new fandangled mTLD like .mobi to access the wireless Web. We have all the tools available to do so without introducing another 'extension' that seemingly was solely created to showcase the pompous attitudes of cash rich international corporations looking to capitalize on their stranglehold on customers who consume their respective products and services.

As one of the founding fathers of the internet, Tim Berners-Lee has staunchly...

"opposed the addition of new tier domain names like ‘.xxx’ and ‘.mobi’. In fact, when the ‘.mobi’ came into existence, he was the biggest dissenter. He argues that every one should be able to access the same web, irrespective of whether it is from a computer or a mobile."

For dozens of reasons, in my humble opinion, .mobi is a non-starter. I don't think that consumers understand it and I don't think that they will enthusiastically incorporate it into their mobile Web  experience. Properly formatted, Web sites using the ubiquitous .com extension and other primary TLD's, are quite capable of delivering a "beyond expectations" mobile Web experience to consumers.

RCR: Indeed, a quick check of The Nielsen Co.’s top five mobile Internet destinations reveals five different URL formats. Yahoo, which topped Nielsen’s list, uses the letter M near the beginning of the URL to denote its mobile site, http://us.m.yahoo.com. Google opts to use the letter M at the end of its traditional URL. The letters WAP appear in AOL’s wireless tag, while The Weather Channel chooses to insert the letters XHTML in its URL.

Many of the most popular sites employ device-recognition technology, of course, and can redirect mobile users to the appropriate site. But many common sites don’t use such software — or, oftentimes, the technology fails. So a mobile user who isn’t directed to the site via links, or who doesn’t know exactly which URL to type in, can suffer through the miserable experience of trying to view a traditional Internet destination on a mobile phone.

Now we get to the meat of the matter... access. More importantly, simple, easy access to the wireless Web. Let's use the Yahoo example cited above and let's also assume a level playing field in that:

* the destination Web site is properly formatted for optimum viewing on cell phones and mobiles

* standard key pad type cellphones and mobiles are being used (Not qwerty key pads)

* the destination Web site is being accessed via direct browser type-in navigation and not being accessed by bookmark or via a link

* Users have navigated to and have opened their wireless browsers

* the http:// portion of the URL is already pre-populated and the cursor is positioned properly and flashing and ready to accept key pad URL inputs

Here are the steps required to access the destination mobile Web site using the various methods.

Sites equipped with device-recognition technology "sniff" the incoming browser. If it detects that  the browser is from a mobile device, it directs the request to the mobile formatted Web site. If it detects a regular internet browser, it sends the request to the regular Web site.

Device detection mehods continue to improve, but as stated above, "many common sites don't use such software - or, oftentimes, the technology fails". In any event, Users still need to type-in the letters of the URL by multi-tapping the corresponding numbers on often very small mobile dial pads. In this case"

1) Using standard alphabetical input method with device recognition software:

Input requirement is: yahoo.com

Y = number 9 tapped 3 times to get to the letter "Y"

A = number 2 tapped 1 time to get to the letter "A"

H = number 4 tapped 2 times to get to the letter "H"

O = number 6 tapped 3 times to get to the letter "O"

O = number 6 tapped 3 times to get to the letter "O"

Typing in the .com portion adds 8 taps and, except for .mobi, is common to all of these examples.

In this instance, even with the device recognition technology, a total of 20 input taps are required to access the Yahoo mobile Web site.

Imagine the frustration if you are "thick-thumbed", or your key pad is so small that you keep making mistakes and have to keep going back and re-inputting information. Frustration leads to abandonment. And abandonment can wreak havoc when you are trying share information or make a sale.

2) Using the "M" method - Alphabetical input with NO device recognition software:

Input requirement is: us.m.yahoo.com. Using the same method as above:

U = 2 taps

S = 4 taps

(.) dot = 1 tap (usually reached by holding down the "1" key)

YAHOO = 12 taps

.com = 8 taps

In this instance, the "M" method requires 27 input taps to get to the Yahoo mobile Web site.

That's 35% more input taps and 35% more chance for input error.

3) Using the .mobi method:

Input requirement is: yahoo.mobi

YAHOO = 12 taps

.mobi = 10 taps

In this instance, the .mobi method requires 22 input taps. That's more than method 1 and less than method 2. However, the key question is, of the over 3 billion cell phone/ mobile subscribers worldwide, how many of them know about the .mobi extension, let alone understand the concept and are typing it into their mobile browsers?

4) Using the numeric domain equivalent of Yahoo:

Input requirement is: 92466.com

YAHOO = 5 taps

(.) com = 8 taps

In this instance, ONLY 13 taps are required to get to the Yahoo mobile Web site.

That's 58%, 107% and 69% respectively FEWER inputs than the other methods.

Other benefits of Numeric Domains include:

  

1. Simple input. It's much easier to enter Yahoo (.com) - four input clicks - than it is to enter a lengthy sub-domain required to get to the same Web site.
 
2. Numeric-domains reduce input error that leads to frustration and abandonment.
 
3. Numeric-domains are hand held device agnostic, wireless carrier agnostic, language and location agnostic. They are equal in the entire global community. You get to the same Web site by entering 92466.com whether you are Beijing, Boston or Bali. Anyone, anywhere on the planet with a wireless enabled browser and network access can access your Web site anytime, day or night.
 
4. Numeric domains reduce dependency on expensive "on deck" content often bundled by the wireless operators/carriers. Content providers typically pay dearly to list and sell their content on-deck, yet have little influence over the location or positioning within the deck and they have even less influence regarding the amount of promotion done by the carrier.
 
5. Numeric domains allow content providers a direct link to their customers and afford greater influence of the user experience.
 
6. Numeric domains enable content providers a method to bypass wireless carriers' expensive billing systems (often 30-60% of sales) and to deliver content direct to their customers with a wide variety of payment options paving the way for content providers to retain a larger slice of the profits.
 
7. Numeric domains provide a strong alternative to CSC's - Common short codes, or just short codes. Short codes, primarily used for "text" campaigns - which also pad the coffers of the carriers, are wireless carrier-controlled. They are NOT owned by the companies or individuals that are running and paying for mobile marketing campaigns. Short codes are rented on a monthly basis (starting at $500 per short code, per month for a random 5-6 digit code, and $1,000 per month, per code for specific or custom codes). They can take months to secure and typically are used only for limited campaign durations.

Organizations, companies, entertainers, celebrities etc. that own their numeric domain:

* can align the numeric domain with their brand; ESPN=3776.com, Money=66639.com, Jenna=53662.com

* can plan international marketing, sales and promotional campaigns around the numeric domain because numbers are the same throughout most of the world

* do not have to wait hat-in-hand for wireless carriers to "bless" their short code applications and allow them access to wireless subscribers

   

* do not have to pay expensive "rental" fees for short codes that come with implicit texting costs, long lead times and the over site of finicky wireless carriers.

RCR: Top Level Domain Ltd., or mTLD, has built an impressive bank account — and an army of critics — with its .mobi effort. The company has auctioned off scores of .mobi domains, and hopes to become the default format for mobile Internet users. Consumers looking for The Weather Channel on a mobile phone would know to check weather.mobi, according to the plan, just as they would type in weather.com on a computer.

mTLD has built and impressive bank account, but can you name for me, any .mobi sites that you visit on a regular basis? Can you tell mi if any of your friends, colleagues or business associates frequent .mobi sites?

RCR: Lack of traction

But critics point to mTLD’s lack of traction among established Internet players, pointing to the growing popularity of using the letter M to signify mobile URLs. Adding a single letter — and dropping the traditional “www” — is easier for users to remember and enter on a keypad, of course. And, as evidenced by Nielsen’s two most popular mobile sites, the format may be in the process of becoming the new mobile standard.

"May be", we'll see. No question, the jury (consumers) is still out. The fact remains that it is easier to input numbers into telephones that it is to input letters.

RCR: “I am a huge evangelist of the ‘m. solution,’ posted James Whatley of SMStextnews.com. “Facebook has done a (lot) of ground work in this area by introducing m.facebook.com to the masses. To my mind, the ‘m.’ is slowly becoming the de facto mobile Web site standard.”

I am a huge evangelist of the numeric domain solution. To my mind, numeric domains will find their niche and potentially become the de facto standard.

If you're still with me here, you are potentially a great NuDom (Numeric Domainer) and I owe you a beer ;-) At present, there is no one "right" way, they all can get you there.  But  I think that it is at best, short-sighted for the wireless Glitterati to totally ignore such a potentially powerful option to access the wireless Web.

I know this has been a rather lengthy post and I still haven't touched on all the points that could be incorporated here. I could give you dozens of examples of hugely successful pure numeric domain Web sites, sites that enjoy millions of unique visitors each and every month.

I invite your comments, challenges and observations.

OK - Try this one last example:

As our RCR writer illustrates, type in m.facebook.com. Go ahead, it's only 29 input taps.

Now, (and actually do this because it works), enter the Facebook numeric domain, 32232665.com. It's only 16 inputs. I promise you'll get there faster, safer and with with much less jet lag.

Cheers,

Billions and Billions Served

In a recent piece by the BBC News, University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist opines on how he sees the world's next billion people affecting the internet. Within the next decade, the number of internet users will balloon to over 2 billion people with the vast majority of those newcomers originating from developing countries. China alone is projected to add over 250 million new users, closely followed by India, Brazil and Africa.

While doubling the number of internet users will undoubtedly re-shape the infrastructure, technical, policy and governance requirements needed to support the growth, it will also force a re-examination of how billions of people access the internet.

Several comments in the article are noteworthy as they illustrate some of the challenges that anyone with a Web site needs to address, especially if their respective goods, services and content appeal to an international audience - an audience that speaks different languages, understands different alphabets and access the internet not only via computer, but increasingly with their cell phones and other wireless devices.

Pro-active, forward-thinking Web site owners and administrators will realize the significant role that numeric domains can play in the overall access to, and delivery of information and goods and services to these new, savvy consumers.

"Not only will the devices be different, but the next billion will employ alternate modes to access the internet. Widespread broadband may be too expensive to install in some developing communities, leading to greater reliance on wireless and satellite-based connectivity."

"Users may use mobile devices as their primary way to connect to the internet,..."

• Broadband access to the internet will be overtaken by wireless access as cell phones emerge as the dominant, preferred access method
• Numeric domains are handset agnostic. As long as users have wireless service, they can access the internet
• GPS allow Web site owners to identify where their customers originate and allow them to serve content accordingly
• Entering numbers on small cell phone dial pads is much easier than multi-tapping numbers to spell words to access a URL
• Numeric domains are also wireless carrier agnostic. Any carrier will do

"Most new internet users will not speak English as their first language, which should lead to increased pressure to accommodate different languages within the domain name system."

• Numeric domains are language agnostic. For the most part, numbers on cell phone dial pads are the same around the world. Even though you may offer your Web site in many different languages, the URL remains the same. 7465.com is the same in Boston, Bangalore, Bali, Brisbane, Barbados...

There are many other factors at play here that will ultimately influence the internet's evolution. Suffice to say that no one at this juncture has all the answers. But one thing is for certain, we are still very early in the game and there are endless possibilities. I urge you all to get in the game and contribute what you can.

This will be my last post for 2007. All best wishes for an obnoxiously successful 2008.

Cheers!

Sprint, MySpace

Seems that Sprint and MySpace love to hear themselves go on about their "extensive" partnership. Is all this mutual back-patting really newsworthy?

Our learned Numeric Domain afficionados (NuDoms) know that anyone with any wireless carrier, can access MySpace by simply entering the numeric domain - 6977223.com into their cell phone browser.

MySpace Nabs Positioning on Sprint Portal

Mike Shields

DECEMBER 13, 2007 -

The soon-to-launch free mobile version of MySpace has landed premium positioning on Sprint's content portal.

Starting early next year, Sprint mobile data subscribers will be able to link directly to MySpace from the wireless provider’s home page with a single click. That’s a key piece of real estate, as many mobile users still rely on their individual carrier’s portals to navigate the Web rather than typing traditional URLs into a mobile browser.

As part of an extensive partnership between Fox Interactive Media and Sprint, besides MySpace, several other Fox Interactive Media interests will receive prominent treatment on Sprint’s portal, including IGN, FoxSports.com and Photobucket, among others. “By providing a direct link to these sites, we’re making it even easier for customers to use their phones to access their MySpace accounts and other online services that are important to them, whenever and wherever they want,” said John Burris, Sprint’s vp of wireless data content.

Mobile Money Transfers Gaining Momentum

"These are early days still, but mobile money transfers could eventually mean big business, even if it captures just a sliver of the global remittances business -- which the World Bank expects to reach $318 billion this year. Research firm Informa, meanwhile, estimates that globally there are now more than 3.3 billion mobile subscriptions. And both figures are set to rise."

More evidence of the impending boom in the use of cell phones to shoulder more and more of the everyday activities we now do when tethered to our computers. CNN reports.

Wireless carriers Short Code shenanigans

Pick Me. Pick Me

I have never been a big fan of short-codes for a number of reasons that I will detail in a future post.

Now comes word from Business Week that some carriers are engaging in practices that could be viewed as "anticompetitive". In some cases they outright deny short-code applications and in other cases they drag their feet on making decisions while you/your company sit and wait.

And it's not just smaller companies that are forced to bow down, hat-in-hand to see if their application will be approved. Major banks, competitive service providers and even PayPal have been rejected or forced to endure costly delays.

More and more companies that need to deliver their messages to consumers worldwide, are learning that there are alternatives to short codes and numeric domains rank among the most favorable.