mTLD / dotMobi no longer have a CEO (Trey Harvin is gone...)

[Andres Kello]

Look who's suddenly missing: http://mtld.mobi/content/dotmobi-senior-management

Trey Harvin's LinkedIn profile corroborates this; he stopped working at mTLD / dotMobi in July.

Trey is a great guy, and I've got nothing personal against him, but I do believe he had a negative influence on the .mobi extension (not necessarily the company as a whole) and lost the plot, so I can't say I'm unhappy to learn that he no longer runs the company we've all invested so much time and money into with so little to show for it. If you look back, Trey presided over the worst drop in domain valuation perhaps in the history of the domain industry, having been there at the very peak when Music.mobi hit a record-breaking $616,000 at auction in December of 2007 (only to be annulled), and having been there still when Flowers.mobi re-sold for a massive six-figure loss almost 3 years later, confirming a titanic 90%+ drop in the market value of his TLD under his leadership as CEO, which is consistent with the general losses we've witnessed in the .mobi extension across-the-board while he was at the helm. Having said that, I do wish him well on his next venture as he truly is a stand up guy.

I suppose this was quietly swept under the rug by mTLD (did he quit or get fired?), but now one must wonder who the heck is running the company? Maybe Afilias has taken over the management?

At any rate, keep this latest development in mind when considering your landrush renewals this month.

[ChineseDomain]

the big problem is mtld's strategy: mtld focus on mobile web dev platform rather than .mobi. was it decided by ceo? expect new ceo or management team can be aware of their failed strategy.

it turns out mtld lost the best development window. .co wins in .co focus, even younger than .mobi.

[Andres Kello]

the big problem is mtld's strategy: mtld focus on mobile web dev platform rather than .mobi.

was it decided by ceo?

Mostly, yes.

expect new ceo or management team can be aware of their failed strategy.

Not necessarily, and even if they become aware, that doesn't mean they will change anything.

it turns out mtld lost the best development window.

.co wins in .co focus, even younger than .mobi.

[Scandiman]

Good catch Andres. I've met Trey as well and had good impressions. We've had our differences of opinion on strategy for sure regarding .mobi, but I've wondered since the afilias buyout how mtld would justify its existence as a separate subsidiary since much of the registry functions are redundant.

[ChinaMobi]

We need a CEO who understands marketing and actively promotes .mobi.

[Scandiman]

We need a CEO who understands marketing and actively promotes .mobi.

The question I have is will mTLD even still have a CEO or simply a .mobi group operating under afilias?

[ChinaMobi]

You may be right, Scandiman. Afilias may just turn it into one of its divisions. Regardless of the structure, I think we need someone who knows how to promote the extension.

[newdomainer]

5 years down the road........ who'd have thought we'd all be here now, extensively travelled courtesy of our dotmobi journey but with so little to show for it!
Does .mobi need a CEO anymore? By this time next year we'll be lucky if Afilias dedicate more than a half dozen staff to the extension... unless the new CEO's job title includes a role as chief washer upper & bottle opener?

[ChinaMobi]

unless the new CEO's job title includes a role as chief washer upper & bottle opener?

This is funny. It makes me laugh (even though it's serious business, I must say).

[keithmt]

The question I have is will mTLD even still have a CEO or simply a .mobi group operating under afilias?

A bigger question would be, will mobi have relevance either way? Much is happening in the mobile internet world but it has little to do with .mobi.

As is with any domain investment, it's all what YOU make it! Really has little to do with a CEO or lack thereof.

[Scandiman]

A bigger question would be, will mobi have relevance either way? Much is happening in the mobile internet world but it has little to do with .mobi.

As is with any domain investment, it's all what YOU make it! Really has little to do with a CEO or lack thereof.

I'm sure the folks at afilias are doing their cost/benefit analysis on the staffing just like any company does. They're an internet infrastructure company first and foremost, and .mobi is basically just another tld in their portfolio along with .org and .info. Nothing to date indicates .mobi will be a higher priority, the only mention of .mobi on their homepage is in reference to registry management technology. So at this point I expect little more than continued quality registry services.

If my memory serves me correctly it was coast who long ago said that many of us .mobi enthusiasts will be involved in .mobi long after the people at mTLD, with the exception of the few original mTLD employees left, coast is proving to be very correct. So to whoever is left over there at mTLD, if you're looking for serious .mobi supporters you can still find a few here.

[Vance Hedderel]

Just for the record, the dotMobi website was updated a couple of months back. The change reflected the overall, ongoing integration of dotMobi with Afilias, allowing Afilias to work more closely on the domain side of things while dotMobi works on the tools that help developers and businesses continue to create mobile Web content. Trey was neither pushed nor did he jump; his help in transitioning the company to Afilias and setting dotMobi's future course was planned for a long while as was his departure. The dotMobi unit now is under Afilias CEO Hal Lubsen.

[Andres Kello]

Just for the record, the dotMobi website was updated a couple of months back. The change reflected the overall, ongoing integration of dotMobi with Afilias, allowing Afilias to work more closely on the domain side of things while dotMobi works on the tools that help developers and businesses continue to create mobile Web content. Trey was neither pushed nor did he jump; his help in transitioning the company to Afilias and setting dotMobi's future course was planned for a long while as was his departure. The dotMobi unit now is under Afilias CEO Hal Lubsen.

Vance, thanks for jumping in and clarifying.

Is there anything Afilias or dotMobi are doing that is going to reverse the consistent year-on-year drop in value of .mobi domain names now that Trey is gone?

In other words, is there anything in the works that should convince anyone not planning on developing a particular .mobi to keep the domain as an investment and renew it?

I'm speaking purely from a domain perspective, not a development one.

Thanks again.

[Scandiman]

Just for the record, the dotMobi website was updated a couple of months back. The change reflected the overall, ongoing integration of dotMobi with Afilias, allowing Afilias to work more closely on the domain side of things while dotMobi works on the tools that help developers and businesses continue to create mobile Web content. Trey was neither pushed nor did he jump; his help in transitioning the company to Afilias and setting dotMobi's future course was planned for a long while as was his departure. The dotMobi unit now is under Afilias CEO Hal Lubsen.

So the dotmobi unit now only focuses on development tools and ".mobi" is handled by afilias. Who all is now involved in making decisions in general regarding .mobi, such as Premium name and 1&2 character allocations and marketing the domain extension?

[Vance Hedderel]

Is there anything Afilias or dotMobi are doing that is going to reverse the consistent year-on-year drop in value of .mobi domain names now that Trey is gone?

In other words, is there anything in the works that should convince anyone not planning on developing a particular .mobi to keep the domain as an investment and renew it?

I'm speaking purely from a domain perspective, not a development one.

One of the main efforts in regards to .mobi is a renewed effort to work with brand and content developers in releasing premium and reserved names. I haven't seen any of the latest ones go live yet, but I'll be pushing them when I do. I try to highlight significant .mobi sites (as well as secondary market sales) as I find them via Facebook (/dotMobiOfficial) and Twitter (@dotMobiOfficial).

Are you going to see advertising or similar? Not at this point. With the .mobi domain count growing steadily and now well over the 1MM mark, the emphasis will be on organic growth. I don't think it's a secret that Afilias' emphasis for the next few months is new Top Level Domains in the dot City, dot Brand and dot Niche categories. But that said, we won't be ignoring .mobi's five year anniversary (or .info's ten year anniversary).

[Andres Kello]

One of the main efforts in regards to .mobi is a renewed effort to work with brand and content developers in releasing premium and reserved names. I haven't seen any of the latest ones go live yet, but I'll be pushing them when I do. I try to highlight significant .mobi sites (as well as secondary market sales) as I find them via Facebook (/dotMobiOfficial) and Twitter (@dotMobiOfficial).

Are you going to see advertising or similar? Not at this point. With the .mobi domain count growing steadily and now well over the 1MM mark, the emphasis will be on organic growth. I don't think it's a secret that Afilias' emphasis for the next few months is new Top Level Domains in the dot City, dot Brand and dot Niche categories. But that said, we won't be ignoring .mobi's five year anniversary (or .info's ten year anniversary).

Those efforts are certainly better than nothing, but I can't see how they will increase the value of .mobi domain names.

Thanks for sharing this important insight.

[Scandiman]

One of the main efforts in regards to .mobi is a renewed effort to work with brand and content developers in releasing premium and reserved names.

Can you explain what the process is now regarding allocating Premium, reserved and 1&2 character names?

[Vance Hedderel]

Can you explain what the process is now regarding allocating Premium, reserved and 1&2 character names?

There hasn't been a significant change in allocation methods.

The process for 1/2 character names is outlined at http://dotmobi.mobi/onechar. Note that by "reserved names" in my earlier note, I meant specifically 1/2 character names that were formerly reserved. The bulk of the reserved names are dictated by ICANN to remain in reserve.

dotMobi has generally been open to premium names bids that include a formalized development and long-term promotion plan. The team covering these requests can be reached via email at [email protected].

[ChinaMobi]

With the .mobi domain count growing steadily and now well over the 1MM mark, the emphasis will be on organic growth.

If someone starts a new extension for mobile, say .mobile, and promotes it heavily, that may spell the end of .mobi. If .co and .com can co-exist, then I see no reason why a new mobile extension cannot be created by some enterprising company to take advantage of the fundamental shift to mobile websites. Then, relying on organic growth of .mobi will not be a good option.

[Pred]

nice to see some people are still raping a wage
lol

[Pred]

Just for the record, the dotMobi website was updated a couple of months back. The change reflected the overall, ongoing integration of dotMobi with Afilias, allowing Afilias to work more closely on the domain side of things while dotMobi works on the tools that help developers and businesses continue to create mobile Web content. Trey was neither pushed nor did he jump; his help in transitioning the company to Afilias and setting dotMobi's future course was planned for a long while as was his departure. The dotMobi unit now is under Afilias CEO Hal Lubsen.

stone me!

It's alive!

[gogo]

With the .mobi domain count growing steadily and now well over the 1MM mark...

Hi Vance

what reasons does Dotmobi / Afilias see for the growth in registrations?

Do you still have usage stats for .mobi domains, for example how many are developed and how many are mobile-friendly?

[acc]

I remember somewhere way back that a similarly confusing mobile extension would not be allowed by ICANN.
However, since the .whatever initiative has been thrust upon the scene I wonder if that is even possible anymore.
The good news is the mobile shift will be huge going forward and the expanding pie can be shared.
Still good to see organic growth of regs, especially since it is evidently offsetting periodic large drops of abandoned ideas - The odd names that drop every day in this domaining industry still amaze me.

If someone starts a new extension for mobile, say .mobile, and promotes it heavily, that may spell the end of .mobi. If .co and .com can co-exist, then I see no reason why a new mobile extension cannot be created by some enterprising company to take advantage of the fundamental shift to mobile websites. Then, relying on organic growth of .mobi will not be a good option.

[coast]

I'm still here and I still think it would be completely free to interest bloggers and social media people in a .mobi to generate buzz.

Corporations take forever to make decisions. Bloggers take approximately a minute and a half if they're on Facebook and 20 seconds if they're on Twitter.

This is the biggest community of .mobi supporters on the planet and yet nobody asks for our help. Amazing.

Guy Kawasaki knows a thing or two about this: http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2006/01/...#axzz1XTeCePQc

[morse]

If someone starts a new extension for mobile, say .mobile, and promotes it heavily, that may spell the end of .mobi. If .co and .com can co-exist, then I see no reason why a new mobile extension cannot be created by some enterprising company to take advantage of the fundamental shift to mobile websites. Then, relying on organic growth of .mobi will not be a good option.

dot MO already exists btw, no need to look for dot MOBILE

[youmo]

dot MO already exists btw, no need to look for dot MOBILE

I am sure this will be pitched towards mobile users:
http://www.domainnews.com/en/dotasia...-registry.html

If it gets the same exposure as .co, will .mobi do anything to defend their/our turf?

[newdomainer]

I am sure this will be pitched towards mobile users:
http://www.domainnews.com/en/dotasia...-registry.html

If it gets the same exposure as .co, will .mobi do anything to defend their/our turf?

Oh!

[Andres Kello]

I am sure this will be pitched towards mobile users:
http://www.domainnews.com/en/dotasia...-registry.html

If it gets the same exposure as .co, will .mobi do anything to defend their/our turf?

There's only so much I'm willing to take bending over. If another extension brands itself as "mobile" and mTLD / dotMobi do nothing to enforce their exclusivity, then that's when I round up an army of the willing and file suit against the company, its owners, and who ever else needs the legal kick in the ass to protect my investment which was already based on so many false promises from the company.

Don't get me wrong, I've seen enough from this company that I think we would even have a legal case today, but I'm not yet willing to shoot myself in the foot like that since I run a few growing .mobi sites. However, if after throwing the Trustmark down the toilet like a shiit-stained rag, they dare shrug their shoulders at any potential TLD that attempts to encroach on the Mobile space, then that will be the proverbial straw that breaks this incredibly patient Camel's back.

They've already gotten away with murder. They're not going to get away with piissing on the corpse, too.

Let that be a warning to the company at the dawn of these new and re-branded TLD's. It will be a lot more costly for them not to protect their turf than it will be to do the right thing.

[ChinaMobi]

Based on that article, it looks like Macao (used to be Macau) will keep the identity of .mo as a city name, as the city generates a lot of money from its casinos business.

[Tim]

Andres, I'd be happy to be deposed for your case. I will contribute any part of class action suit that belongs to me to you. You are a tireless defender of the sales benefit that mTLD failed to perform. You started this forum where we could all gather. You opened the forum up and allowed every possible type of comment and criticism. I will contribute to your case in anyway I can. I strongly feel that mTLD failed to perform to its contract with its customers and if they fail to protect their branding, albeit weak branding, they will have failed there as well.

There's only so much I'm willing to take bending over. If another extension brands itself as "mobile" and mTLD / dotMobi do nothing to enforce their exclusivity, then that's when I round up an army of the willing and file suit against the company, its owners, and who ever else needs the legal kick in the ass to protect my investment which was already based on so many false promises from the company.

Don't get me wrong, I've seen enough from this company that I think we would even have a legal case today, but I'm not yet willing to shoot myself in the foot like that since I run a few growing .mobi sites. However, if after throwing the Trustmark down the toilet like a shiit-stained rag, they dare shrug their shoulders at any potential TLD that attempts to encroach on the Mobile space, then that will be the proverbial straw that breaks this incredibly patient Camel's back.

They've already gotten away with murder. They're not going to get away with piissing on the corpse, too.

Let that be a warning to the company at the dawn of these new and re-branded TLD's. It will be a lot more costly for them not to protect their turf than it will be to do the right thing.