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Get Smart: FairWinds Launches New Service
Mon, 11/28/2011 - 10:00 — Josh Bourne and Phil Lodico — PermalinkLast week, FairWinds launched a new service called FairWinds Intelligence, a patent-pending revolutionary new domain name infringement and management technology. Intelligence utilizes the Domain Name Intelligence Engine (DNIE), a software that identifies, categorizes and quantifies infringing domain names, and when combined with our advisoryservices, helps clients make real-time decisions about which domains to recover.
Years ago, when we first entered the business of domain name strategy consulting, we knew the field would be constantly changing. In fact, that's one of the things that excited us about it. We knew we, too, would have to adapt in order to continue providing our clients with the best advice in the most time- and cost-efficient way possible.
Other automated domain name monitoring tools have been around the marketplace for a while now. Because FairWinds has such a trusted relationship with all of our clients, we have been privy to the best and the worst tools that others offer. Unfortunately, we've observed that the vast majority are overpriced and frankly, inaccurate in their categorizations of infringing domains. Moreover, they do nothing to actually prevent or combat cybersquatting for the clients who use them.
In the past, we rejected the idea of developing our own tool, largely because here at FairWinds, we are branding, marketing and legal experts, not software developers. But then we met Desvio, a technology provider based in Silicon Valley that is comprised of a small group of highly skilled engineers. But the Desvio team is more than just talented technologists – they truly understand the bigger picture of cybersquatting and the impact that it can have on businesses outside of the realm of the DNS. When we met Desvio, we realized now was the right time to take the leap and develop our own tool.
The result was an easy-to-use dashboard interface where clients can access and view all of the domains classified by the DNIE, receive real-time notifications and manage the workflow to recover valuable domains. We're very pleased with the end result, and can't wait to begin rolling it out to clients.
For more information on the new Intelligence service, visit our Services page on the FairWinds website.
The Swiss-ification of Pete
Thu, 02/24/2011 - 16:28 — Josh Bourne — PermalinkThis week, FairWinds’ new Chief Operating Officer Pete Langdon and I have been travelling around Switzerland for meetings with various companies. We’re actually attending 18 meetings over the course of the week. It’s not exactly grueling work – these meetings have given me the chance to catch up with some good friends and we’ve gotten to eat some delicious food. Here is a picture of Pete outside the International Olympic Committee headquarters in Lausanne:
We have a few more meetings to close out the week, and then we’ll be attending the meeting between the ICANN Board and the Governmental Advisory Committee in Brussels next week.
DomainStrategy.com
Thu, 02/10/2011 - 18:20 — Josh Bourne — PermalinkGreat news here at FairWinds – we recently acquired the domain name DomainStrategy.com. For the time being, we will redirect the domain to this site, DomainNameStrategy.com.
We were thrilled to get the domain DomainNameStrategy.com back in 2008 for our blog because it describes perfectly the topics we discuss here. That makes it easy for readers to remember, and therefore easy for them to find us. We also had a great deal of success in getting the blog to rank highly among searches for “domain name strategy” and related terms. In all, having a keyword-rich domain name has really paid off for us. Now that we have an even shorter domain pointing into the site, it will be easier for readers to direct navigate to our blog, since they will have less to type in. And it will hopefully give us the chance to attract some new readers among people who decide to type in DomainStrategy.com looking for information on domain name strategy.
Taxi!
Fri, 01/14/2011 - 11:04 — Elizabeth Cummings — Permalink
When you climb into a cab, you never really know what to expect in terms of the driver’s personality. Some drivers prefer to remain silent while others strike up a conversation with you. From my years of traveling I have talked to cab drivers about everything from family to American foreign policy to sandstorms. The other day was no exception.
I had just finished telling the driver where I was going and was settling back into my seat when he asked me how long I have been in DC and what I do for a living (note: the picture here is not an actual photo of my cab driver; I just included it for comedic effect). I always pause for a second when asked that question; explaining what a “domain name strategy consultancy” is can be a bit complicated. But he seemed to know what I was talking about. When I had finished my usual spiel he began asking me more in depth questions about domain names and confided to me that he had purchased several “big” domain names ten years ago for a company he had started which subsequently failed.
We had arrived at my destination at that point. He had pulled the cab over to the side of the street, killed the meter and pulled out a pencil and pad. He began asking me more in-depth questions about buying and selling domains, how UDRP arbitration works and what qualifies as cybersquatting. I ended up giving him some information on DigitalDNA before finally paying and clambering out of the cab.
As he drove away my mind wandered over all that we had just discussed. I was amused that what had begun as a simple chat between two strangers had taken such a twist, but it almost didn’t surprise me considering how big a part domain names play in an increasingly Internet-driven society.
I think that sometimes, because our expertise is tightly focused on the domain name space, we tend to assume that we have to explain to people outside the industry why domain names are so important and how the work that FairWinds, CADNA and DigitalDNA do factors in. In this case, it was neat that in the span of about 10 minutes I managed to connect with a total stranger because of the work that I do here at FairWinds and it was definitely an experience that I won’t forget anytime soon.
It’s a Mad, Mad Cyber World – But We’re Working on That
Wed, 12/29/2010 - 10:42 — Samantha Demetriou and Elizabeth Cummings — PermalinkEarlier this month, we attended a Cybersecurity Forum presented by The Atlantic and Government Executive. The event featured an interview with Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Deputy Director Kaigham Gabriel; three panels on the future of cybersecurity, cybersecurity in commerce, and cyber threats to the critical infrastructure; as well as a keynote speech by U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano.
One of the most interesting themes of the forum that we noted was the emphasis on partnership between the public and private sectors – both the representatives of the U.S. government who were present and the representatives from private industry agreed that the best way toward progress in improving national cybersecurity is for the two sectors to work together in a mutually beneficial relationship that combines the innovation of the private sector with the regulatory authority of the government.
Through our work here at FairWinds and at the non-profit we launched, the Coalition Against Domain Name Abuse (CADNA), we also believe in the strength of the combined resources and skills of the public and private sectors. As FairWinds helps its private sector clients become leaders in savvy domain name practices, CADNA works with legislators to develop laws to improve the Internet, as it is impacted by the domain name space. Together we hope to make the digital world a better place for both businesses and consumers alike.
During the panel discussion about cybersecurity in commerce, the issue of the high cost of cybersecurity was raised. Businesses have been hesitant to adopt more comprehensive cybersecurity measures because of the unfavorable economic climate, and have forgone taking all the necessary steps to better secure their core operating systems. On the flip side, Internet attacks are cheap, easy, profitable and attackers are seldom caught. It is hard to show the ROI of investing in cybersecurity, but it is worth it, and the U.S. government needs to give businesses operating in the U.S. the economic incentives to do so.
Similarly, domain names are a key component to branding and marketing strategies, and also trademark and customer protection. Strategic domains are worth investing in because, like cyberattacks, cybersquatting is easy, cheap and profitable. FairWinds works to educate businesses and help them get ahead of cybersquatters. CADNA comes in on the legislative side, pushing for stronger measures against cybersquatting, and better protection for brands and consumers online.
It was encouraging to see the enthusiasm of government representatives toward partnering with the private sector on cyber issues. Moving forward into 2011, we hope to continue working through both FairWinds and CADNA to foster both public and private sector progress in improving the domain name space.
Siding with the Swiss
Thu, 08/27/2009 - 17:12 — Josh Bourne — PermalinkBrandchannel’s lead story this week points out that “Switzerland, with less than 16,000 square miles of land mass and less than 8 million people, is paradoxically one of the world’s richest countries—and home to a disproportionate number of influential global brands.”
It’s no surprise that so many businesses flock to Switzerland. Not only is the country centrally located in Europe, but Switzerland has become central to the marketplace because it is synonymous with quality. Barry Silverstein, author of the paper “Small Country, Big Brands” reports that the association of “Swiss made” with high value has even prompted the Swiss government to consider new laws that would establish stricter standards for what can be considered a Swiss brand. Aware of its illustrious international reputation, Switzerland looks to live up to it. And brands, likewise aware of the country’s international reputation, look to become associated with its high standards.
Throughout the years, I have spent time traveling to places such as Zurich, Baden, Schaffhausen, Basel, Biel, Vevey, Lausanne and Geneva, and have developed personal relationships with many brand owners there. Actually, Katie Richards, now Director-Europe for FairWinds and the European liaison for CADNA, is a friend that I had gotten to know during her time at Credit Suisse. With such great brands and people in Switzerland, it was a natural choice for FairWinds’ expansion into Europe. Katie has been key to opening FairWinds’ Europe branch and we’re happy to be in the thick of things, serving the best brands in the world. Next steps? Maybe hiring the decorator that styled Google’s zany Swiss headquarters in Zurich?
