.mobi is launched as mobile domain in China, IDN format

dot mobi, the company behind the .mobi top-level Internet domain name, today announced the availability of its one-of-a-kind mobile keyword and .mobi domain bundle for Chinese brands and businesses, offered in partnership with China-based mobile keyword vendor Huarui.

Web searches via mobile phones

According to Analysys International, more than 270 million web searches were performed on mobile phones in China in the second quarter of 2009 – double the figure from a year earlier, which highlights the importance of search for the Chinese mobile web.

“With 700 million Chinese mobile subscribers, a rising number are using the web on their phones as carriers in China roll out 3G services,” said Ma Yanli, CEO of Huarui.

Currently, more than 50% of China’s 1.3 billion citizens are estimated to be mobile subscribers – a figure that will quickly grow with the advent of 3G networks, which are just now arriving in China. And as with other countries, 3G mobile network speeds will drive the growth of mobile Web use. dotMobi’s unique mobile keyword and .mobi domain bundle is designed to meet the needs of businesses in that burgeoning mobile Web environment.
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So, less of this:

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And much more of this:

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Trey Harvin, CEO of dotMobi, said, “The packaging of mobile keywords and .mobi domains is a global first. This gives Chinese site owners the flexibility of using the .mobi domain to help ensure successful discovery by search engines, while using both the .mobi domain and matching keyword in advertising efforts.”
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Keywords – memorable words that a user can type into a mobile phone instead of a number – are very popular in China. And specific to the Chinese market, dotMobi will offer Web addresses in Chinese characters. These addresses in non-standard language characters are known as Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs). The use of Chinese-character IDNs will allow Chinese-language mobile Web sites to be found more easily by search engines. According to Analysys International, more than 270 million Web searches were performed on mobile phones in China in the second quarter of 2009 – double the figure from a year earlier, which highlights the importance of search for the Chinese mobile Web.

“Being able to find content that works on mobile phones is extremely important, given the ongoing rise in mobile-web users, and that is why Huarui is happy to be collaborating with dotMobi,” Yanli added.

The dotMobi/Huarui bundle of keywords and Chinese-language .mobi domains will be available in a special sunrise period beginning at 4am China time (UTC) on 29 October, 2009, and will finish at 4am UTC on 28 November, 2009.

Vance Hedderel (Dot Mobi PR Director) said:

“Huarui is the retail division of the China Academy for Telecommunications Research (CATR), which is in turn part of the China Ministry of Information Industry (MII).

All IDN.mobi names in simplified Chinese characters will be bundled with corresponding wireless keywords. The IDN.mobi names in simplified Chinese characters will not be sold separately. And there will be no Premium Names in connection with this bundle.”

Immediately after 28 November, 2009, general registration will commence, and the keyword/Chinese-language .mobi domain bundle will be available at standard prices.

About dotMobi

dotMobi is backed by leading mobile operators, network & device manufacturers, and Internet content providers, including Google, Ericsson, GSM Association, Hutchison 3, Microsoft, Nokia, Orascom Telecom, Samsung Electronics, Syniverse, T-Mobile, Telefónica Móviles, Telecom Italia Mobile (TIM), Visa and Vodafone.