----- Original Message ----- From: "Tiger Technologies" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, March 24, 2001 12:47 AM Subject: Re: Tucows browser deal incorporates domaindirect functionality > At 3/23/01 9:11 PM, Elliot Noss wrote: > > >I think the best I can tell you Robert is for the right offer we would sell > >Domain Direct happily. Our commitment is to the wholesale business and, as > >mentioned previously, the Opera deal is, in essence a wholesale deal. > > Sure; I don't fault you guys for making a buck. I'd probably do the same > thing in your place. It's just that occasionally the buck you're making > is coming at my expense. > > The fact you're charging them a special low price doesn't alter the fact > that people clicking on that button are being directed to buy a Tucows > domain name without being sent to an OpenSRS reseller, thus depriving me > of a potential sale. Because of that, you guys DID make a choice here to > compete with your resellers -- or at least to emphasize one reseller over > another. Hello Robert, In my experience of developing customized versions of both IE and Netscape, using the IEAK (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ieak/en/default.asp) and (http://home.netscape.com/bisdev/distribution/index.html) both allow an MSP to customize a browser to include bookmarks and favourites, buttons and click through icons which could direct the end-user to your own domain registration page. I'd imagine that Opera has a similar toolkit to allow someone to drive business to your domain registration signup page via buttons and bookmarks built in directly to the version of the browser. If a reseller so chose to do, they could build customized versions of these browsers and distibute them via a number of channels, like offering a free download from a site or even go as far as distributing CD Roms in the mail, like those thousands of disks AOL sends through my letter box each year. Building customized software kits and distributing them to clients, and potential clients is a great marketing tool which can drive people to an MSPs domain registration site. I don't think that Tucows is emphasizing Domain Direct over any other reseller. This opportunity appears to be open to all MSPs. That Tucows has a distribution channel which is both large and unique in the Internet community by offering free downloadable software is something that they have been working out for years, long before Tucows ICANN accreditation and Domain Direct's inception, is something different. Of course, the other issue is who *really* uses Opera anyhow ;) Regards > > Perhaps you could claim that you'd promote a certain reseller in exchange > for consideration, even if you didn't own that reseller. Fair enough, > except that in this case Domain Direct's internal access was presumably > what let them get the deal; I didn't hear it being discussed as a > possibility around *my* office water cooler, for example. > > There will always be situations where Tucows, being a content company > with clout, is in a position to send some business to a retail domain > name seller. And, surprise, when they do it, it's usually their own > company's retail channel they send it to, if for no other reason than > they happen to have lunch with you sometimes and I don't. Influence buys > power. > > On the other hand, Tucows did invite me for lunch next month... hey, now > I get it. I'm gonna make a deal and be rich! > > > >For those of you who have a really nice set of end-user tools and features, > >are able to create your environment out of relatively simple templates, and > >are able to provide a bit of customer service, there are great opportunities > >out there. > > Yeah, I've got that goin' on. As I said, I like OpenSRS. > > I still wish I wasn't competing with you guys, mostly for psychological > reasons. > > -- > Robert L Mathews, Tiger Technologies >
