news Google uses a .XYZ for their new parent company Alphabet - the Internet melts

[DomainVP]

Multiple news outlets are reporting that "Google" has decided to change their parent company name to "Alphabet" and has launched it on the domain ABC.XYZ.

I have seen many companies that operate multiple businesses under one umbrella and also use terrible domains without ever intending to own the exact match .COM - but for Google, this move is surprising.

It’s a win for Daniel Negari and selling one of the few domains that the .XYZ registry is good for: the alphabet. The other being abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvw.xyz

I think Google summed it up by saying, "[we make] smaller bets in areas that might seem very speculative or even strange when compared to our current businesses.”

As this story unravels, I’m sure Mr. Negari will have a larger role to play within Alphabet, possibly even heading their .google extension when Google decides that we should all be using a .google instead of .COM.

Speculation for a speculative move.


From the announcement G is for Google:

What is Alphabet? Alphabet is mostly a collection of companies. The largest of which, of course, is Google . . . companies that are pretty far afield of our main Internet products [will be] contained in Alphabet instead.

Alphabet Inc. will replace Google Inc. as the publicly-traded entity and all shares of Google will automatically convert into the same number of shares of Alphabet, with all of the same rights. Google will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alphabet. Our two classes of shares will continue to trade on Nasdaq as GOOGL and GOOG.

Don’t worry, we’re still getting used to the name too!

Your thoughts?

 

[DU]

I bow down to the owner of ABC.WTF as funniest redirect of the year.

 

[Joseph Green]

My thoughts, in order, as they hit me:

• What day is it? Is it April 1st? This must be some kind of prank.
• Alphabet blocks come to mind. Is this for children?
• What, what, what?! They used a .XYZ? Okay, this must be a joke.
• How does one of the richest companies in the world decide to use a .XYZ domain?
• The domain abc.xyz has 7 syllables and takes forever to say aloud.
• It looks like random letters if you glance at it quickly.
• Why didn't they use one of their own new gTLDs? That would make more sense.
• The domain abc.xyz is probably the best domain name in the entire .XYZ space.
• I wonder what abc.com (American Broadcasting Company) thinks about this domain?
  
• Millions of dollars are going to be invested into .XYZ domains now.
• Millions of dollars are going to be lost by investing into .XYZ domains.
• Whoa, they also announced a new CEO of Google, Sundar Pichai, in their blog post. Sneaky!
• Google, I still love you.

That was a crazy mixture of thoughts and emotions!

 

[The New Guy]

New Coke.

 

[JB Lions]

People are getting excited over a ........ one page parent company url? Another thread started by somebody who said - "Google is now abc.xyz" No, Google is still Google. "What is Alphabet? Alphabet is mostly a collection of companies. The largest of which, of course, is Google."

Have you heard of Bath & Body Works or Victoria's Secret? Many have. Do you know they have a parent company? Would you know it's name without searching? Would you know they changed the name from Limited Brands to L Brands in 2013? Do you think people go to lb.com? No, they go to bathandbodyworks.com, victoriassecret.com and the other sites they have.

This isn't a site people, consumers, will be visiting, using, bookmarking etc.

"The goal isn’t to make Alphabet a consumer brand, Page said."

Somebody posted this is somehow going to help other new gtlds as well? What? There is nothing there for the normal person to see.

Also, what's up with:

our drone delivery effort<a href="http://www.hooli.xyz/" target="_blank" class="hidden-link">

Ah, easter egg joke.

 

[Nattydomain]

News now yes but will fade in time and no one will care.

 

[Traveler]

Amazing, if last week someone here would have suggested that google would form a parent company using the .xyz extension, they would have been ridiculed relentlessly.

 

[Fancy.domains]

World's most powerful internet company are using a .XYZ for their parent company and this will not be a boost for .XYZ and gTLDs in general?

Of course it will. This is just the beginning.

 

[DU]

How did they aquire the domain?

I don't know but I"m going to guess it was in AdWord coupons.

 

[Ms Domainer]

@Ms Domainer

I like alphahol.com, could do with some just now!

Ask and you shall receive:

 

[BostonDomainer]

One can hear the steadfast .com domainer hardliners and .xyz haters 'cries and sighs' already.


There will now be an explosion of new .xyz domains registered! And the .xyz and new gTLD hater threads..will be on overdrive.

I was just going to post about this. This is actually a big deal for new gtld investors not just .xyz This is probably one of the best exposure gtlds can get coming from the giant Google... I mean Alphabet. A renown tech company using something other then .com? Even though it's for their corporate umbrella Alphabet @ abc.xyz and not Google per se, the news is everywhere! I still think .xyz is a horrible extension and still won't be touching it.

 

[Fancy.domains]

Great news!

Both for .XYZ / Negari but also for the new gTLDs in general.

I had a plan to lower the prices on my own .XYZ. but will no longer do so. I will watch the .XYZ auctions on NameJet more closely now.

 

[deflee79]

The bought it from the registry; it was part of their restricted domain names that they sell at premium pricing.

This is a standard practice by all new TLD registries.

Hey Bob! Somebody wants to buy abc.xyz at our premium ..what? Your kidding me! No! Come look! Probably how that conversation went ..lol

 

[DU]

Once again subliminal messages in advertising....

Nothing sells like some good sekz and sex [thx to gustave]... I want to know who pam is..

 

[NameFu]

Good for .XYZ... But... Am I the only one who is reading this as Google, I mean Alphabet, just taking corporate decision making farther from the public eye and in the process they went with .XYZ to obscure things even more.

I wouldn't be surprised if this is the result of lessons learned from Google's failed "Google Plus" project. They're slowly phasing out Google Plus and probably realized that it's better to launch projects outside of the Google-verse, so that if they fail they're isolated, individual companies not tied to their most important business (search / advertising).

 

[hawkeye]

One can hear the steadfast .com domainer hardliners and .xyz haters 'cries and sighs' already.

Your thoughts?

There will now be an explosion of new .xyz domains registered! And the .xyz and new gTLD hater threads..will be on overdrive.

 

[johname]

My first thought was why didn't they use:

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVW.xyz

lol

 

[Kate]

Actually, Google use a number of exotic extensions (other than the usual google.cctld) for certain projects.
Example: no_url_shorteners (URL shortener)

Perhaps it's time to invest in Greenland domains don't you think ?
You can't go wrong if it's endorsed by Google.

 

[DomainGist]

Correct on the Apple remark but totally incorrect about BMW being bigger than Google.

http://www.forbes.com/powerful-brands/

Eh?

I think you'll find I'm totally correct about BMW having larger annual revenues and a larger total asset value, which is what I actually said.

What your link shows is a list of publicly listed companies sorted by market capitalization, which is why Dell is missing from the list, what with it being privately held. Furthermore, that lists what Forbes perceives as 'brands', which they have decided not to define.

That's the only way to place a 'value' on a business, the market deciding what its worth, and it is only by that measure that Apple comes out on top..... because tech is in a big bubble.

Here's a better list:

http://www.forbes.com/global2000/list/#tab:overall

Apple in 12th, when factoring in sales, profit, and assets, alongside 'market value'.

Google in 39th, and BMW in 45th..... but only because of the inflated price of Tech shares, which many will argue are in a bubble.

BMW have far higher revenues and far higher total asset value, which is what I said.....

 

[DU]

Sergey, Larry and Sundar were hanging out and after a couple of tequilas:

- Let's chock the world and rename Google! Let's call it... Alpha... Alphamale?! Like us!
- No, too sexist... Women will go bananas. Call it ... Alphabet! That's totally nuts too.
- Yeah, and let's get a corny domain that will confuse everyone!!!
- Awesome! But shouldn't we not check on any possible existing trademarks first?! *burp*
- What? Who could possible sue us? And no one would trademark such a word.
- Haha, we are just awesome!
- Salute!

Given that they didn't know how to spell googol it wouldn't suprise me.

 

[DomainGist]

I doubt Google are even bothered about owning Alphabet.com.

Its just going to be an information page for an umbrella company, of interest only to perhaps investors and the press, for downloading corporate accounts and checking for press released.

The consumer is still going straight to Google.com

Example: http://www.berkshirehathaway.com/

That's the homepage of one of this worlds biggest diversified 'umbrella' or 'holding' companies.

An example of one of their brands: www.geico.com

How many customers of Geico even know or care that Berkshire Hathaway own Geico, yet alone have a reason to visit the Berkshire Hathaway website?

Exact same applies here. 'Alphabet' is just the name of a legal entity, a holding company, it isn't for consumption and doesn't need to be a consumer brand.

Therefore spending huge money or putting massive effort into acquiring 'Alphabet.com' would be nothing other than a hugely expensive and massively pointless vanity project.

 

[DomainVP]

Almost every single post here about how great .XYZ is completely unfounded and utter nonsense.

In 3 months after people finally understand the difference between a holding company and a public facing company, all these .xyz buys will be worth less than regfee and dropped when renewal swings around.

I own some great domains that are exact matches for some holding companies, and guess what; the companies don't want them.

I will leave you with this final thought...

If Google decided to name their holding company "KIWI", the domain would probably be My.Kiwi.
If Google decided to name their holding company "ONE", the domain would probably be One.Uno.

Would you then rush out to buy a .Kiwi or a .Uno... of course not.

Thats's how basic this is...

Dreaming is nice, but when you are chasing the dream with a blindfold on it can get treacherous.

 

[johname]

So what does A B C stand for?

Always Buy Com

 

[DomainVP]

I'm seeing a lot of "Social Media Marketers" and registries jumping in on this news... but not many SEO's.

I think most SEO's are staying out of the conversation because they know exactly what most of us know, and have been saying the same things;

Domain hacks or clever temporary use are good, [keyword].gTLD with no meaning is bad. So essentially if you missed the domain during landrush, and it's a premium restricted by the registry, you are back to square one with the whole 'paying for a good domain' dilemma that was the "reason" this whole gTLD program was launched.

It's kind of sad and silly when you actually think about it.

I think what's missed in the conversation is that Google used their "clout" to get ABC.XYZ - after all it was a registry restricted domain. I wonder how much the registry would have sold the domain for if it wasn't Google calling.

The general public (and some new domainers) create this picture in their minds of Google just taking a trip over to the .XYZ registry and registering it, when that was not the case at all.

I feel sorry for those that are getting bamboozled into thinking bad gTLDs will be worth anything inside of a 10 year span. For those that have the information, and it's looking them right in the eye... well you can lead a horse to water, but sometimes a tree will fall on it.

Yes... I skipped the whole 'but you can't make them drink', because at this point we're way past the drinking and gTLD fanatics are just standing by the lake waiting for a tree to fall on them.

 

[Charles Sweeney]

Larry Page says on abc.xyz: "Don’t worry, we’re still getting used to the name too!"