We registered a couple of .mobi domains earlier this year for two reasons:
- Brand protection
- Branching out
- We’re a bit geeky!
As the .mobi registration rules are quite different to those of other TLDs we were going to be obliged to actually use the domain for mobile content of some kind (which is a good thing!).
However, after meeting several people from .mobi in LA and also talking to other people about the entire mobile space I thought it would be a much better idea to actually use the domains productively instead of merely shelving them.
So there are now two .mobi domains pointing at our mobile site.
I think we’re the first Irish hosting company to put a .mobi site live! So that’s another little first for us!
The site is not a copy of the main Blacknight site, nor was it my intention to even try to make it a copy of the current site.
It’s sole purpose is it to provide some basic info about us if anyone happens upon the site while using their mobile phone.
At some stage I’d like to see us using the site to actually offer services, but it’s not very high up on our ever-growing “todo list”.
It would be nice to see more Irish companies embracing the .mobi TLD and doing “funky” things with their dotmobi domains, so if anyone has done something cool I’d really love to hear about it.
The guys from .mobi have found some really nice examples of mobile sites that provide useful information and services.
I was browsing some of their “picks” on my Nokia this evening (at no cost thankfully, since it connects to my wireless network) and I was truly impressed.
I’ve always loved The Godfather so I was delighted to see that Paramount’s mobile site has plenty of content up for grabs. Unfortunately it won’t work with an Irish phone, but I love the idea (maybe I can bribe an American colleague to get some of the content for me?)
So if you’d like to find out more about .mobi, then let us know or simply register one today – they don’t cost that much!
I should point out that you don’t have to be a geek to embrace the inevitable evolution of the web to mobile 🙂
James
Of course not, but it might help 🙂
I just upgraded my phone to an N95, so I’m spending even more time trying to surf the mobile web…
Thanks for your comment
Michele
I don’t know if one version for the mobile and a different one for the browser is a good idea.
Firstly, by following web standards its not hard to have things degrade gracefully on current mobiles, and secondly, the iPhone is currently shattering the market with its internet browser–showing the REAL internet.
Other phone makers should play catch up soon, rendering this platform-specific stuff obsolete.
(IMHO :-D)
I agree with Stephen. Web Standards will help end the need to have seperate sites for different platforms. I am most interested in the iphones and ipod touch(es) when they come into the Irish Market. They are the future of mobile publishing. I can’t wait to get one or the other.