The top-level domain .mobi, was approved by nonprofit ICANN and is dedicated to delivering content via the mobile web. Several major high-tech corporations and telecoms, including Google, Microsoft, Nokia, Samsung, Ericsson, Vodafone and T-Mobile, among others, have financially backed the domain.
Various high-profile domain names were sold at big-ticket prices, from a list of 5,000 common words including dating.mobi, which sold for $73,000; adult.mobi went for $30,000; and motels.mobi at $47,000.
The auction was the second in a series of three.
The first dot-mobi auction was held in September 2006 and drew several six-figure bids for names like flowers.mobi ($200,000) and fun.mobi ($100,000).
The third and final auction is scheduled to take place Nov. 28-Dec 5. Sedo.com is the first company to market domain names through an auction-style format, as opposed to the traditional method of first-come, first-served.
“After the tremendous success of the first dot-mobi auction, we had high expectations for the second auction as it featured premium domains in top verticals including real estate, automotive and dating,” Sedo CEO Tim Schumacher said. “There was never a doubt that this auction would generate even greater interest than the first, and the best is yet to come when the third dot-mobi auction kicks off later this month.”