The top-level domain (TLD) “.guardian” is a brand TLD and has been delegated in the Domain Name System of the Internet. The application for the .guardian TLD was made by The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America in the ICANN’s New gTLD program. The TLD was delegated to the Root Zone of the DNS on June 18, 2015, which marks its official launch on the internet.
According to ICANNwiki, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is the body that oversees domain naming systems. In 2011, ICANN started its new generic top-level domain (gTLD) program to allow corporations, organizations, and institutions to apply for domain extensions of their brands or services.
One prominent applicant in this program was The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, which applied for the .guardian domain. As NameStat.org suggests, like many other brand TLDs, .guardian is not offered for public registrations and is meant to be exclusively used by the company for its online digital identity.
To give a better perspective, a brand TLD like .guardian brings numerous benefits. Firstly, it provides an opportunity for companies to strengthen their brand identity online. For instance, instead of using a traditional “.com” or “.net” extension, the company can use “.guardian” making it more recognizable to customers and stakeholders.
Secondly, it gives corporations more control over their brand online. With traditional TLDs, there is a risk that third parties could register domains with the brand name, potentially leading to cybersquatting or phishing attacks. With a brand TLD, the corporation has complete control over who is allowed to register domains under its TLD, thereby reducing these risks.
Lastly, a brand TLD like .guardian can potentially facilitate better organization of the company’s online presence. For example, different departments or divisions could use specific domain names under the TLD (e.g., finance.guardian or health.guardian).
It’s important to mention that the application process for a new gTLD is quite extensive and expensive. As per ICANN reports, it involves a non-refundable evaluation fee of $185,000 USD, not to mention additional costs related to legal, advisory, and technical services.
In conclusion, the .guardian TLD is a brand-specific domain launched by The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America. It helps them consolidate their brand identity, increase control over their online presence, and potentially structure their digital platforms more effectively.
Sources:
ICANNwiki
https://icannwiki.org/.guardian
NameStat.org
https://namestat.org/guardian
ICANN
https://newgtlds.icann.org/en/program-status/delegated-strings
ICANN New gTLD Program
https://newgtlds.icann.org/en/about/program
