Now some high-tech firms are trying to promote a standardized domain name for mobile devices–similar to dot-com for Web sites–that would give users a reliable way of receiving and displaying data on their mobile devices. In June, Microsoft, Google, Nokia, Vodafone and other firms announced dot-mobi–a domain-name suffix for mobile users–that is supposed to create a standardized, recognizable way for companies to launch mobile-friendly sites to mirror their existing sites. The venture could remove a big impediment to making mobile Internet a widespread–and perhaps even a preferred–mode of Web browsing.
One reason mobile Web browsing has caught on in Japan and South Korea is that walled-garden providers provide Web pages that look good on handheld devices. Dot-mobi is supposed to provide that for everybody. “Style sheets” behind each address will allow the site to identify which kind of device a visitor has (PDA or phone?) and tailor screen resolution, file size and number of pictures accordingly. Pop-ups are disallowed, and sites will be closed down if they don’t stay on the right side of the regulations.
Perhaps the most useful thing about dot-mobi, however, is that people will be able to guess Web-site names like google.mobi or batman.mobi, or click on search-engine links leading to dot-mobi sites–without the phone’s crashing from pop-ups or spitting back unintelligible text.
Although it’s too soon to tell whether users will go for dot-mobi, so far there seems to be plenty of interest on the part of corporate Web sites. Visa, Rolex, Disney and Virgin have already ponied up money to use the suffix. We should know by the end of the year whether this is the breakthrough mobile Web users have been waiting for.
