Q&A With Sam Nunez regarding Sedo and RevenueDirect

Sam Nunez explains the RevenueDirect buyout and the potential for future acquisitions.

Sam Nunez, VP of Product Management for Sedo, answers some questions regarding the firms buyout of RevenueDirect.

Reglike: When did Sedo first enter into discussions with RevenueDirect/Dotster regarding acquiring the parking firm?

Nunez: The successful round of negotiations started last December. We had some on-off discussions with Dotster for more than a year though.

DNW: Sedo had a listing agreement with Dotster by now in place, correct? I mean where Sedo listings were shown as alternatives on domain searches at Dotster.

Nunez: Yes. The current relationship is akin to an affiliate program for our aftermarket services. As part of the fresh strategic partnership, we intend to take it to the next level.

DNW: Your press release on the deal mentions monetizing Dotster’s sizable portfolio of domains. Does this refer to its registrar-owned domains, clients’ domains, or both?

Nunez: Registrar owned. Dotster’s clients that are using the RD platform are considered as RD clients and are included in the buyout.

DNW: Will Sedo parking pages be used as default “coming soon” landers on Dotster clients’ pages?

Nunez: Yes.

DNW: Will Sedo, with its newly added domains, be able to offer a higher revenue share to clients?

Nunez: In the short term, there will be no change for RD clients. As we take the best of both products, we expect to be able to pass through even better monetization levels to RD clients, as well as to Sedo existing clients.

DNW: Is Sedo looking for other acquisitions in the domain parking space?

Nunez: Yes. Obviously we are not going to acquire for the sake of acquiring, but challenging times always offer better buying opportunities for the stronger players. Our industry is maturing, so this is bound to happen.