Going Dutch with numeric domains

SIDN, the domain registry for .nl (the Netherlands), announced in late January that the first domain registered during the sunrise period for pure numeric .nl domains, which transpired during early December 2007, was 9292.nl. That domain was registered by REISinformatiegroep, a Dutch travel information provider.

REISinformatiegroep was formed in 1992 in collaboration with Dutch government public transportation agencies and in late 1992 went live with the phone number 06-9292, which was serviced by 9 callcenters. More than fifteen years later, REISinformatiegroep, popularly known as '9292', still provides route descriptions, timetables and related information for all public transport in the Netherlands, annually answering more than 25 million queries from travelers of trams, busses, ferries, trains, metros and taxis. Although phone numbers have changed in the Netherlands since 1992, 9292 has stuck to its marketing philosophy. Its familiar, easy-to-remember brand '9292' is still part of its telephone hotline number: 0900-9292.

REISinformatiegroep currently uses the domain 9292ov.nl and stated, as quoted in SIDN's January 24 press release, that it will be switching to the pure numeric domain in 2008. ‘The new domain name will make things more straightforward for the consumer. Once it goes live, people won’t have to remember to include the letters ‘OV’ when they want to access our services. Since more than half of the Dutch population know us simply as 9292, that means we’ll be easier to find for computer users and mobile users. ' Currently, 9292's mobile URL is mobiel.9292ov.nl. The 'ov' in the url was a carryover from REISinformatiegroep's previous name, Openbaar Vervoer REISinformatiegroep.

9292 said that the pure numeric domain name of 9292.nl was something they had been hoping to acquire for the last four years. When 9292.nl goes live, the organization will be the second major concern, after 3663 First For Foodservice in the U.K., to 'cross-pollinate' its brand as its domain name and into its hotline phone number.

'We can’t wait for the opportunity to start making use of 9292.nl,’ said Communications Manager Aarnout Mijling.