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News has begun to spread that major corporations like Apple, Microsoft and Sony among others have been applying for customized top-level domain names. We now get a look at the domains that have been applied for with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) including some from big gaming companies such as “.xbox” and “.sony”.
With this, in the near future corporations will be able to host all of its online content with in their own personal top level domain instead of using .com sites.
ICANN’s list of applied for top level domain names included the aforementioned Microsoft and Sony both paying out some pretty large dollars just to make a bid for the domain names. Microsoft put in 11 bids for domain names that include, “.xbox,” “.live,” “.bing,” “.skype,” and “.windows”. Sony put in a few less bids vying for the names “.playstation,” “.sony,” and “.xperia.”
This will mean that companies like Microsoft could make use of a top level domain name for all of its online content like user accounts (“yourprofile.xbox”) and game pages (gametitle.xbox) among other things.
Apple Inc., Sony Corp. and American Express Co. are among companies that are seeking names with their brands… If approved, the new suffixes would rival “.com” and about 300 others now in use. Companies would be able to create separate websites and separate addresses for each of their products and brands, even as they keep their existing “.com” name. Businesses that joined the Internet late, and found desirable “.com” names taken, would have alternatives. – Associated Press
Not just anyone can apply for these top level domains; they come at a hefty price tag for even just applying. Somewhere in the range of $185K just for the evaluation will mean that only major corporations will be afforded the chance for customized URL’s. Microsoft put up a cool $2.035 million for its current bids and Sony let go of $555K for its evaluations.
Other big companies like Google and Apple have both put in bids as well. While many companies, like Google, have applied for several domain names like “.google,” “.youtube,” and “.app,”, Apple stood uncontested with its one and only application for “.apple”.
Craig Hunter – who has written 1177 posts on The Jace Hall Show.
Craig Hunter is a main contributor for the Jace Hall Show and has been an avid gamer for over 15 years. He also freelances for a number of websites and magazines covering mobile products and emerging technologies.

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