Friday, April 25, 2025

March 2, 2015

Google Just Bought A Web Domain For R300 Million

Google have just laid down some seriously big bucks on an auction for generic top level domain names. Don't worry, I had to Google that term too.

We all know Google has a few dollars to throw around when the mood strikes them, and their latest splurge is all the evidence we need.

So as a bit of background, in 2011 the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers approved the expansion of what is called ‘generic top level domains’. In English, that means everything to the right of the dot in the web address.

When the domain ‘.app’ went up for auction Google came in swinging, with this from NBC:

Google beat out a dozen competitors, including Amazon, for the rights to .app. Ultimately “Charleston Road Registry,” the name Google uses for its domain registry, won the .app domain for a cool $25,001,000.

I’m sure their team of experts have analysed every angle and decided this was a good move. I, for one, shan’t argue with them. The ‘.app’ domain wasn’t the only one auctioned with some other well-known names spending big. The BBC reports:

The ending .baby was bought by pharmaceutical firm Johnson & Johnson, which makes a range of baby products, for just over $3m.

A firm called Dot Tech LLC bought .tech for $6,760,000.

There you have it. Don’t ever say we don’t do boring business talk around these parts.

[sources:nbc&bbc]