A Mobile App Killer?

By Duane J. Higgins, ceo
xtradot.com


Is the Domain Name Platform a Mobile App Killer? 

Probably not. But certainly a worthy challenger in many instances. Also, at worst a valuable adjunct to the mobile software app. So I have to finally come clean that I'm not a big mobile app person because I don't yet have a smartphone and have never texted. I may get there at some point however not yet. I got to thinking about this "mobile app revolution" that seemed to be taking over all of the communication and where that might go. Part of the reason I want to talk about mobile apps is that many have speculated that mobile apps would lead to the demise of domain names. I have been solidly on the domain name bandwagon and have made many posts to support that. My basic position regarding the continued value of domain names in our society is that:

Domain names represent the intersection of the real world and the Internet. They are identifiers and addresses. Something that we will continue to need. Just like we will always need personal names, telephone numbers, email addresses and residential addresses.  

Domain names are the language of the Internet. They are how we communicate with the Internet in a very specific and irreplaceable way. 

So all the talk about potential obsolescence of domain names has certainly raised an eyebrow with me a few times. With the ongoing release of upwards of 1000 new domain name extensions to the global marketplace I have a few thoughts regarding the "app-neutral" status of domain names. In addition to the inherent value of the domain name as a computing platform (and a rival and adjunct to the mobile app.)

Domain names may be the ultimate "app neutral" platform. That is, not dependent on a certain downloaded software or mobile app. Creating an independence from mobile apps that can be liberating. 

Mobile software apps are most certainly brilliant developments and with revolutionary uses that are growing almost exponentially. This is not a bash on mobile apps. I know little to nothing about them however and I can appreciate their utility. 

My focus for this post is on domain names.  Nifty little "identification strings that define a realm of administrative autonomy, authority or control within the Internet." (Definition of domain names from Wikipedia.org). 

"Identification strings" which take us to the web based or cloud based destination every time via the DNS (Domain Name System).

Without a mobile software app.
Just the language of the Internet taking us to where we want to go. Capitalizing on the DNS  and the beauty that this computing platform has to offer. 

One more thing. With voice recognition search you really don't need a software app. Just a domain name a command and voila you are at the web based or cloud based site. 

It's been 30 years (this last Sunday) since the first Internet domain name (figuratively) began rattling around the Internet. A recent Verisign industry brief reported the total number of current domain name registrations worldwide at over 285 million total registrations. That's not a bad start for an Internet that is most certainly in it's infancy. Where we go (with domain names) from here remains to be seen. 

But who would have thought that the biggest rival to the mobile software app could have been sitting right under our noses for some 30 years now. None other than the much beloved and occasionally maligned domain name.