Domain names have become the real estate of the online world. In particular short and memorable names can easily sell for six-figure sums at auction, delivering significant returns for investors keen to avoid the turbulence of today’s stock markets. The auction of APPS.net [http://apps.net ] is currently underway and looks set to attract contenders from the booming markets of software and app development, as well as domain prospectors looking for a solid medium-term investment. The auction begins April 19th and runs until April 26th, 2012.

The domain’s value lies in its close ties to the world of “apps”, small pieces of application software that can be installed on a whim on your smartphone. As the descendants of the humble cellphone, smartphones allow you to do far more than just make calls and write or receive text messages; with smartphones you can also access countless online services, use the phone as a navigation system, play games, set up bank transfers, control various devices remotely, and much more. This is all thanks to the versatile fields of application offered by apps.

In March 2012, for example, the world-renowned iPhone manufacturer, Apple, announced that it had sold more than 25 billion apps to date – and the number is growing by the day. Originally a search-machine operator, Google now also offers Google Play, its own extremely successful marketplace for these mini-applications. It is no wonder that the software giant Microsoft is integrating a corresponding platform in Windows Phone devices and even in the forthcoming Windows 8 operating system. The Mozilla Foundation, known for its Firefox web browser, harbors similar plans with a store for web applications.

But apps are by no means only intended for mobile use. In fact, they are also used in Blu-ray players, HDTV receivers, and TVs. In the latter’s case, this has spawned the term “smart TVs”. Even in the PC sector, the internationally established term “apps” is gradually replacing the sluggish designations “programs” and “software”. The vendors all have one thing in common: The mini-applications can be submitted by practically anyone and made available for download either free or for a charge, whereby many developers have made their fortunes.

The basic requirement for this is, of course, a good idea, but the name also plays a significant role in ensuring sustained and widespread success. It should be as short as possible and easy to remember, without deviating too far from the core competence. This sounds like an insurmountable task in the era of a booming apps market and various name-related legal battles. It is therefore even more astonishing that the Internet domain APPS.net [http://apps.net ] is available to buy by auction from April 19th, 2012.

The domain is more a type of virtual real estate than simply an Internet address. With APPS.net [http://apps.net ], shrewd software and app developers face a unique opportunity to secure a concise, memorable domain name for their products and services. Since the commercial significance of the short name is very high and the only international alternative (APPS.com [http://apps.com ]) already belongs to one of the world’s largest software companies, experts in the domain sector feel that a six-figure sale price is realistic, despite the low minimum bid.

Considering the versatile usage possibilities and high resale value, however, the projected price still seems low. In 2010, for example, in keeping with the motto “sex sells”, the domain sex.com [http://sex.com ] was sold for 13 million USD, after selling for over a million less four years earlier. Likewise, a company from Gibraltar reaped massive rewards in 2007 for the sale of the domain poker.de [http://poker.de ], which sold for 695,000 EUR (960,000 USD).

Interested parties can follow the auction of APPS.net [http://apps.net ] from April 19th, 2012, via the link to the domain. Sedo.com [http://sedo.com ], the world’s biggest marketplace for Internet domains, is acting as the auction house. Those interested in purchasing APPS.net [http://apps.net ] must first be certified accordingly by Sedo.com [http://sedo.com ], which can take a number of working days. Last-minute bids can therefore only be submitted by registered users. APPS.net [http://apps.net ] is currently owned by Branchenpresse Verlag GmbH, a specialist online-media publisher in Munich, Germany.

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