Editor's Notes

.Tel TLD Gains Momentum

Yet another TLD is emerging on the scene and gains momentum. The new .Tel TLD, created by a London-based company called Telnic, will allow individuals, companies and organizations to store all their contact information in a virtual phone book for life. In essence, it will be a global online contact directory.

How does it work?

First, users will need to register their domain name with an annual fee ranging from $20 to $30. Unlike a regular website, no technical skills are required to set up a .tel contact page.

A simple interface helps users enter their contact information: a home or office phone number, a mobile phone, e-mail addresses, Facebook, Twitter profiles or any of the other ways people choose to stay in touch. Each of the contacts has a clickable link pointing to the service. For example, clicking on an ICQ username will open ICQ app.

Owing to the recently made public API, mobile device users could communicate and access the services of organizations or individuals with .tel domain names.

Simple name or keyword searches will facilitate finding companies, friends and business contacts.

It is possible to set your .tel domain to show different numbers during the day and at night, or to show your geographic location on a map that will appear on the page.

What about privacy issue?

Tel's security options will let people choose who can reach them and how. For instance, you can choose to share information with friends, keeping it hidden from others. Or you can share certain contact info with acquaintances and clients, saving your secret home number for friends and family.

Read more.

News

Recent Articles

Domain Aging - Fact or Fiction?
by Barry Goggin
Domain age has been touted as a factor in the valuation of a domain but is this really true or is it a popular myth? [more]

Is your current Domain strategy working for you? No. Then change it fast!
by James Stafford
When we all start out in this business we get to hear the stories of Scott Day, Frank Schilling, Rick Schwarz and believe that maybe one day we will be able to count ourselves amongst their number. [more]

13 Reasons Why A Domain Has No or Low Value
by Jeff Behrendt
A lot of things can impair the value of a domain. Here are 13 of the most common reasons that I've seen for domains to have no value or a low value: [more]

Are you afraid of a world without parking?
by Morgan Linton
Let's face it - the domaining world is changing forever. Whether you like it or not domain investments will be defined by the value of what is actually on the domain itself more and more. This has scared many domainers and caused them to quickly put-up their entire portfolios for sale as they watch their parking revenue go down the tubes. [more]

28 Symptoms of a Serious Crisis in Domaining
by Joe Davison
I'd like to present to you 28 symptoms of what I believe is a very serious crisis facing us all. Almost everyone I speak to is feeling these things. And if you're feeling them yourself, the likely culprit is that you're still hanging on to a lot of ways that might have worked in the past, but don't any longer. [more]

US wakes up to mobile commerce
by Brooklyn Bhandari
Robert Jaques reports on vnunet.com nine million US mobile phone subscribers have used their handsets to pay for goods or services via premium SMS, according to data released today. [more]

Send Feedback

Elsewhere on the DevStart Network

Web hosts: Downturn? What downturn?

By all accounts, the web hosting industry is holding its ground in the economic downturn. Across online meeting places for hosting professionals, such as the ongoing discussion in the sizable LinkedIn Hosting Industry group, there are no indications that the industry is undergoing a crisis period. On the other hand, the stock market slump in the beginning of October hit hard on the big publicly traded hosting companies -- was that simply the side effect of an economy-wide event, or indication of specific weaknesses in the web hosting sector?

Back when people were starting to get really nervous about the economy, HostReview held a web hosting executive roundtable and asked representatives of different companies what they thought laid ahead for the industry. The answers were a resounding affirmation of the sector's business stability.

"..In a potentially shaky economic climate, customers really need a low-risk platform for their business and IT needs" said Urvish Vashi, Director of Product Management, with The Planet. "Hosting providers (...) have enabled customers to avoid big upfront expenses and have given them the flexibility to do business without long-term contracts. As a result, hosting providers often become the safest place."

Another participant in the roundtable--Steve Renda, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Verio, said "SMBs are examining how to make their businesses more efficient, turning to hosting, software services, virtualization and other cost and time savings methods that could help impact their bottom line."

Read more.

Last Chance to Apply for the Idea Cafe Innovation and Originality Grant

DevStart, Inc. 64 Orland Square Drive, Orland Park, Illinois, 60462

Sections

Advertisement