Hi Alex, thanks for taking the time to read the post and pen-down your thoughts. Here's my responses to your comments: 1. Are you saying that these new business models are consequences of the introduction of new TLDs? Do you mean tactics rather than strategies? --> Thinking of TLDs that could be used in innovative business models, say for example a TLD being used as home for a technology / platform that is accessible via a browser. Users would get their own SLD in that space and would pay to use the technology. Ofcourse, it will also be interesting to see the innovative business and marketing tactics as you have said. 2. Unless there is a huge drop in renewals within existing TLDs, introducing new gTLDs will very likely increase the total number of domain registrations, at least for the near future. However, why will existing gTLD registries compete on price instead of service? --> What will be interesting to see is how significant the contribution from New gTLDs to the total new domain adds will be this year, and whether / how this will impact new domain adds in existing gTLDs. Existing gTLDs, mostly being commodities, the Registries may choose to reduce prices and increase new registration volumes before New gTLDs actually launch. We don’t see a huge drop in renewals so soon really as you say, it may be a while before that happens, if it happens. 3. Does it take new TLDs so that “[f]inally, consumers will now know that there is more to the Internet and websites than .COM”? Interesting that only .COM comes to the minds of consumers when someone mentions Internet! --> Well, it is interesting really and the de-commoditization is something that we will witness as-it-happens in our industry. With categorization, consumers will be able associate their identity with their online presence. We must revisit and see next year whether and how much de-commoditization took place! 4. Don’t all companies have to differentiate? You note that “[t]heir choices will be based on their business goals, relevance and of course demand from within their existing customer base.” But, the only viable business goal, other than shareholder value maximization, is being socially responsible. Moreover, why would registrars rely only on “existing customer base”? Doesn’t his imply that only existing customers will buy the new gTLDs? Wouldn’t they be better off differentiating on customer service instead of price? --> What we meant was that Registrars and web hosts will also differentiate in terms of what specific TLDs they are promoting. They wouldn’t solely rely on their existing customer base, but customer profiles (among other things) would determine what New gTLDs would most likely succeed with that Registrar. Also, a Registrar in a particular region would heavily promote a set of TLDs, and the set could be completely different for another Registrar in another region. Until now, Registrar shelves were somewhat similar across the globe, with the most popular TLDs and this is set to change. 5. Why do you foresee “strategic partnerships” rather than arms-length relationships of registrars and gTLD registries? Also, must you have partnerships “with entities outside of the Internet industry … to create new demand in uncontested market spaces”? I’m not sure what you mean by “entities outside of the Internet industry”? Consumers of gTLDs are part of the Internet industry, aren’t they? --> Well, in certain scenarios, for category TLDs it may make sense to establish strategic partnerships with established Registrars. Here a Registry could upsell to a very relevant customer base, or make inroads into a new market in that region with the help of the Registrar / web host. Such an activity could actually make the Registrar / web host a market leader in that category TLD Say for a TLD that represents a specific region, or a specific interest group unique to that region. Taking this a step further some Registries may partner with entities that are not in the Internet industry, but have direct access to the TA of that TLD. Example, an education related TLD may choose to partner directly with educational institutions to access students of that institution. Again there’s a lot of innovation possible here. 6. I am sure you are aware that vertical integration is a very complex strategic decision. Yet, with your list of registries’ product offerings, how can registrars compete with registries? Thus, new gTLDs may not be win-win to both registrars and registries, as you note in (5). --> Well, we are talking New gTLDs, thousands in number. Most likely the generic TLDs such as .web may be a win-win for Registrars and Registries. For category specific TLDs, it won’t be the easiest for the Registry to go through existing Registrar channels. These Registries would need to ensure they populate their space and keep growing it. Here they will compete with the generics, old and new, and effectively with Registrars and web hosts. In this case, the decision for Vertical Integration would, in most cases, be a no-brainer rather than a complex one and the success of that gTLD may depend on how well it engages with its customers.