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Dot-mobi domains go to highest bidders

Auction generates $850,000

The first dot-mobi auction has closed on a high, with domain name marketplace Sedo.com selling 100 mobile web addresses to the highest bidders.

This was the first time the mobile domain names have been sold through an auction process rather than on a "first come, first served" basis. The web addresses were some of the 5,500 "premium names" - commonly-used, generic words and phrases - set aside by dotMobi (the company managing the new dot-mobi top level domain) before the launch of the domain in September 2006.

Bidders from 34 countries went head to head to get their hands on the most popular domain names, such as hosting.mobi, which sold for $101,000, bank.mobi, which had a price tag of $51,501, download.mobi, which went for $51,500, currency.mobi, for $47,000, and insurance.mobi, which had a closing bid of $42,005.

In total, the auction generated more than $850,000 for the continued creation of mobile content tools.

It seems the dot-mobi domains are now being taken seriously by the industry, with the insurance.mobi domain snapped up by Insurance.com, an independent online insurance agency that allows customers to compare and buy car insurance from several different firms.

"With more than 1.6 billion mobile users around the world, it's obvious that brands are quickly realising that the audience for mobile content is enormous," said David Ryder, dotMobi's chief marketing officer. "This auction proves that dotMobi has some of the most-wanted domain names in the world, and it's exciting to start seeing how they'll be used for content."

Another auction is due to be held on 31 October, with a third to kick off on 28 November.

"We knew that the dotMobi's premium names portfolio would be a success on the Sedo platform; however, the results of this auction went beyond our expectations," said Tim Schumacher, chief executive of Sedo. "We are now even more excited about our upcoming .mobi auction on 31 October when names like car.mobi, gps.mobi, gay.mobi, kiss.mobi, love.mobi and map.mobi will be available."

© 2007 ENN

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