(DUBLIN, IRELAND, January 19, 2006) — Plans to make the internet as easy to use on a mobile phone as it is on a personal computer took a step forward today as Mobile Top Level Domain Ltd, (mTLD) the registry behind the new ‘.mobi’ (dotmobi) internet domain, officially opened its headquarters.
The move to the IFSC (International Financial Services Centre) in Dublin keeps mTLD on track to launch the dotmobi domain in the first half of 2006.
For the more than one billion mobile users around the world who demonstrate an increasingly mobile lifestyle, use of the new dotmobi domain will effectively turn the switch for the internet to be mobile. Up until now, inconsistent, costly and unreliable mobile internet browsing has limited this same audience to traditional internet use via PC’s, despite the availability of feature-rich internet enabled handsets as well as high speed access.
To ensure the best quality user experience for sites and services using a dotmobi address, mTLD will be publishing the “Switch On! Guides” for content and web developers, to establish rules and best practices for the development of dotmobi sites and to ensure they are optimised for mobile devices. Essentially, the dotmobi domain name will be an instantly recognisable trustmark for mobile internet users.
“Dublin resonates with a unique economic vibrancy, which makes it the natural headquarters for our company” commented Neil Edwards, CEO of mTLD Ltd. “The dotmobi initiative will truly turn the switch to make the internet mobile, and based in Dublin, we have recruited a talented team that will make this happen.”
Backed by the world’s leading mobile operators, handset manufacturers and software developers, mTLD has been designated by ICANN as the registry for the dotmobi domain. As such, it will be responsible for the worldwide registration of dotmobi names.
Registration is expected to start in mid-2006. Prior to this there will be a ‘sunrise registration period’, designed for the mobile industry, trademark and brand owners to register their interest in specific dotmobi addresses.
mTLD also has a US based office located in Washington D.C.
Many of the companies backing mTLD plan to demonstrate dotmobi-based internet websites at 3GSM, the mobile industry’s annual conference and exhibition which takes place in Barcelona on February13th to the 16th.
