BANGALORE, INDIA: Gone are the days of dotcom boom and and gone will be those of social networking sites such as Facebook and Orkut, when you can host your identity on the go on the world wide web, that too without a website!

Telnic, a UK-based registry operator, recently launched the .tel domain for individuals and businesses to share contact information with any device connected to the Internet without a website.

On this backdrop, Fabien Chalandon, vice chairman, Telnic and Bhavin Turakhia, founder and CEO, Directi, Telnic's India business partner, bare the facts behind this concept with CIOL. Excerpts:

CIOL: How is .tel different from .com and .org, and such other domains of similar kind?

Fabien Chalandon: The .tel domain is the first top level domain (TLD) to use the domain name system (DNS) in an entirely new way. By storing data directly in the DNS, .tel provides the following benefits:

No Website: The contact information stored in the DNS is readily available and efficiently delivered to any device without the need for a website or a webmaster.

Speed: The DNS is optimized for speed. Since it stores information and key words to the DNS directly, a .tel look-up takes just a fraction of a second, and is much quicker than loading a traditional Web-page.

Real-time: Whenever you update your data in the DNS, the change "goes live" instantaneously.

Optimized for mobile devices: The data is also presented in such a simple way that the .tel easily integrates into address books and allows for advanced navigation on all mobile devices.

CIOL: How do you see takers opting for the domain, especially individuals, when there are other services offering similar features for free?

FC: The .tel aims to become the online business card for individuals and businesses who want to connect or be connected with others. Unlike normal websites, which are often laden with graphics, animation and text, .tel requires no website and transmission of data from DNS directly is lighting quick as it hosts only 'lightweight' contact information.

This expedites the process of information retrieval, a crucial consideration, when users are surfing on their mobile devices. Traditional websites are about content, while .tel is about contact information and cutting out the unwanted content in a situation where people simply want to connect with an individual and business in the fastest way possible.

Bhavin Turakhia: Along with businesses, .tel specifically targets individuals with its existing features. It gives an individual various options to store and protect private data, communication access, and a well connected online presence throughout. All of this, without the need to build, host or manage a website. A combination of these features on a readymade online platform is something that will definitely see a growing individual demand for this TLD.

CIOL: Another aspect is the low Internet penetration in India. So, how do you see .tel domain gaining currency?

FC: All innovations take time to really catch on. Time will tell how significant this innovation will go on to be. We believe it has the potential to accelerate tremendous change in the way people find and connect with each other in ways we have yet to even imagine.

BT: The Internet penetration is no doubt low in India. However, .tel will eventually prove to function as online Yellow Pages. Yellow Pages have been popular ever since their inception and are known in every Indian household. In that context, .tel can definitely act as a substitute. Further, the collaboration of all modes of communications, like blogs, mobile phones, fax, VoIP, social networking, email, etc., and their accessibility from any part of the world, boosts that appeal of a .tel domain not just for corporates in India but also individuals.

The integration of all means of communication in a single place has already appealed to a large number of people here and they have sought for registration of their respective brands. Also, mobile usage within India has increased manifold in the past decade and every company will be more than willing to cash in on the provision of an express way for customers to connect to them.

CIOL: How vulnerable would this information be, since it is accessible to any device connected to the Internet?

FC: The .tel is also secure! If you don't want to share your information with the whole world, you can choose those who are allowed to access it. Data stored in the DNS can be encrypted so that only people who you authorize can view it, allowing selective privacy. .tel puts the power back to the hands of owners when it comes to using and sharing contact information.