AUTHOR: Russell TITLE: Top-Level Domainia DATE: 10:21 AM ----- BODY:
Until recently, ICANN, the body charged with administering the domain naming system, has been very stingy about authorizing new top-level domains (e.g. .com, .net, .biz). Now, however, it's apparently open season. Anyone with $185,000 can have a top-level domain of their own.

Implications? Well first, it's a bit more hassle, confusion and complexity for those of us whose business involves gathering and maintaining this information. Second, it's a potential area of opportunity. Consider a legal publisher that buys the top-level domain ".law" and offers it to its advertisers, or hosts websites for law firms listed in its database. This could be an exciting marketing gambit.

But more profoundly, this move marks increasing erosion in one of the core uses of many directory products: providing basic company contact information. Think about it: you don't need a directory (or a search engine for that matter) to find the website for Microsoft, because the odds are very good that if you type the name of any big company followed by ".com," you'll easily get to that company's website. Should Microsoft acquire the ".microsoft" top-level domain, it will likely get even easier. Many web pundits believe that in the near future, you'll simply type "Microsoft" into your browser, and if Microsoft owns the corresponding top-level domain, you'll go right to it site.

The lesson here, which I've stated many times before, is that basic company contact information has become a commodity, and this new development even further erodes its value. If you think the $185,000 will keep a lid on things, don't forget innovative services like Telnic* that is vying to become a central company phone book on the web. Still not convinced? Then go over to Jigsaw (2005 Model of Excellence winner), which offers its database of 2.6 million company records free for the downloading.

The bottom line is that if "industry phone directory" is a part of the value proposition of your data product, it's well past time to start moving it up the value chain.

*Telnic is a 2009 Model of Excellence finalist, and its CTO, Henri Asseily, will explain how the company is executing on its vision at this year's InfoCommerce Data Content09 conference.

Model of Excellence Awards
We are pleased to announce that Netprospex Inc. is a finalist for an InfoCommerce 2009 Model of Excellence awards.

Review the Netprospex Model of Excellence profile here

Hear Netprospex Founder & CEO Gary Halliwell at DataContent 09
DataContent 09: All Roads Lead to Data. Full program here.

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----- -------- AUTHOR: Russell TITLE: Dot What? DATE: 11:56 AM ----- BODY:
In a move that surprised many, ICANN, the body that administers, among other things, the Internet's addressing conventions, approved a plan to basically open up the domain system (technically known as generic top-level domains) to all comers (actually all comers with at least $50K to spend). If dot com, dot info, dot net, etc. don't catch your fancy, now you can order up your own top level domain. How about dot stuff? Dot data? Dot jones? If you've got enough cash, it's yours.

If that isn't mind-boggling enough, ICANN is also pondering the use of non-Arabic script in domains as well. Yes, Chinese websites may someday have domains using Chinese characters.

Rationale for this move? It's hard to say. Some pundits suggest that ICANN is just looking for more money, but ICANN is indicating it will have to invest $20 million to implement this new system. Is there huge, pent-up demand for these new top-level domains? It really doesn't appear that way.

As far as implications of this move, this is a tough one to call. Internet domain registries seem generally upbeat, presumably because it gives them more merchandise to sell. At the same time, their public pronouncements talk only generally about how this new policy will "spur creativity." It doesn't seem that anyone knows exactly what is going to happen or how. Possible losers from this move include companies that have amassed tens of thousands of domains in the hope users will navigate to them accidentally and then click on one of the paid links on those pages. These companies need limited domain inventory to make their business models work.

While dot com domains are likely to retain their cachet for some time, as more business web addresses leech into new domains, I will made a prediction of a modest upside for data publishers. Right now, a user can guess many company URL's simply by typing in the company name followed by dot com. As that formula becomes less certain, the need for directional information (i.e. directories) will increase. When it comes to information, confusion and uncertainty create opportunity for those who will take on the task of organizing and simplifying things. Just one more reason why the wild, wild Web has been more beneficial to data publishers than most other media.

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