[registrars] Re: [registrar] Fw: [NSITestBed] Registration Activity by Registrars

["Ross Wm. Rader" <ross@ebarn.com>]

I don't know about the rest of you, but I would only expect that each
Registrar makes it their business to know what their competitors are up to.
I am very comfortable with the level of competitive intelligence that we
have at our disposal, but I would be a fool to think that we are alone in
gathering and using this information to our advantage. For instance, I
received a report on Tuesday that outlined exactly what NSI's traffic to
each part of their web site was; how many came to their front door, how many
did name searchs and exactly how many registered and payed for their names
in the month of May. The detail was granular enough that specific registrant
information and day to day volumes were available.

I could be wrong, but I think that there are battles that need to be fought
and won - this may not be one of them. For instance, I would be much more
willing to lobby for a complete accounting analysis of NSI's $9 cost
structure and explore the potential registrar/registry subsidies that likely
exist currently with them.

However, I might be missing the boat on this one...

-RWR

-----Original Message-----
From: Ken Stubbs <kstubbs@dninet.net>
To: Registrars@dnso.org <Registrars@dnso.org>; Registrar@registrar.icann.org
<Registrar@registrar.icann.org>
Date: Thursday, July 01, 1999 7:04 PM
Subject: [registrar] Fw: [NSITestBed] Registration Activity by Registrars


>fellow registrars..
>
>even though david graves seems to feel this topic is closed   (see e-mail
>below)  and not subject to further debate or discussion,
>i would like to point out my concern here that, in spite or assurances
>provided, i cant believe that key information regarding competitive
>registrar performance will somehow not "filter out" thru the cracks to
other
>personnel at NSI.
>
>please let me elaborate a bit:
>
>i find it hard to accept  that the chief executive officer and chief
>financial officer (mentioned in the representation below) of a
>publicly -held company would not have accesss here thru:
>cash flow summaries and sales reports  (who is going to sign off on the SEC
>reports & review the data ... some accounting clerk... i think not !!)
>accounts receivable recaps
>market share reports
>marketing performance analysis prepared by registry division for executive
>committee review
>registrar marketing division employee performance analysis
>
>it also should be pointed out that for the last two months the testbed
>registrars have been informed that our point-contact
>for BOTH the registry as well as the NSI registrar was david graves (not
>exactly consostant with the representations made below.)
>
>personally, i dont get any real comfort nor confidence from the statment
>below and
>am quite worried that the information could be used to fine-tune NSI's
>registrar marketing efforts in various parts of the world.
>this critical data could be used to develop market penetration programs in
>parts of the world where their share may be declining. descriminatory
access
>to this data can provide NSI a critical edge for market strategy
development
>any golbal market against any  competing registrar.
>
>don't you think that they already have enough of a head-start and enough
>built-in advantages ?
>
>anyone care to comment here ?
>
>best wishes
>
>ken stubbs
>
>
>
>
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Graves, Dave <daveg@netsol.com>
>To: 'Testbed List' <testbed@nsiregistry.com>
>Sent: Tuesday, June 29, 1999 6:24 PM
>Subject: [NSITestBed] Registration Activity by Registrars
>
>
>>During previous weekly teleconferences, Werner Staub and Ken Stubbs have
>>requested that the Registry make available to all registrars information
>>about the registration activity of each Registrar.  We decline to do that.
>>
>>As I have said before, disclosure of the numbers of domain name
>>registrations by each Registrar is one indicator of the business activity
>of
>>a company.  Such disclosure may violate regulations of the country in
which
>>the Registrar is located.  If a Registrar wants to disclose the volume of
>>its registration activity, the Registrar may do so.  But, the Registry
will
>>not disclose that information to any Registrar, including Network
>Solutions,
>>the Registrar.
>>
>>Ken Stubbs has discounted my statement that Network Solutions is doing
>>everything it can reasonably to do keep the Registrar and Registry
>>businesses separate.  He is certainly entitled to his opinion.  But, I
will
>>state one more time that individuals who make business decisions about
>>Network Solutions' Registrar operations do not see data that shows
>>Registrar-specific activity at the Registry.  The people to whom
disclosure
>>is denied include, but are not limited to. everyone in Marketing, the CFO,
>>and the CEO.
>>
>>This issue is considered closed and not subject to additional debate.
>>
>>Dave
>>