The Top-Level Domain (TLD) “.company” is an Internet domain name extension that is classified under the category of Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs). This category of TLDs is expanded and managed by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a nonprofit organization that coordinates the internet’s global domain name system.
“.company” is a dedicated TLD introduced in 2013-2014 as part of the new expansion of internet namespace initialized by ICANN. This came due to the exhaustion of good, meaningful domain names in the previously established TLDs like .com, .net, .org, etc. The intent behind introducing .company was to provide a straightforward, significant namespace for businesses and corporations around the globe.
As detailed by ICANN, the “.company” TLD is considered to be unrestricted, which implies that any person or organization can register a domain with this extension, regardless of their geographical location or the nature of their ventures. It’s a powerful tool for any business, big or small, to create a compelling online presence as it clearly communicates the business nature of the website to visitors.
To take an example, ‘yourbusiness.company’ tells visitors that they are on a professional, business-focused website. They can expect to find information about a company, its products or services and more. This immediately sets the tone for the browsing experience and can even improve trust and credibility among potential customers.
The “.company” TLD is managed and operated by Donuts Inc., a company specializing in domain registry services. According to the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), Donuts Inc. was delegated the rights to operate the “.company” TLD on 21 November 2013. However, the actual process of registering a “.company” domain would typically involve a user going through a registrar service that has been accredited by ICANN.
The use of “.company” is increasingly becoming a popular choice for businesses owing to its availability and direct relevance. Companies like Starbucks (starbucks.company) and Nike (nike.company) have registered attractive “.company” domains for brand protection and marketing purposes.
In conclusion, the “.company” TLD allows businesses to build an intuitive and impactful online identity and it’s likely that we’ll see its adoption rising further in the coming years.
Sources used:
1. ICANN (https://www.icann.org/)
2. IANA (https://www.iana.org/)
3. Donuts Inc. (https://donuts.domains/what-we-do/top-level-domains)
4. Hover (https://www.hover.com/tlds/.company)
