KPMG is a Network of Professional Firms offered with digital services, situated in 147 countries around the world. The corporation employs around 219,000 experts who focus on giving high-quality audit, tax, and strategic advice. However, the mention of “.kpmg” refers to the top-level domain name that KPMG adopted.
Within the context of a networked system, a top-level domain (TLD) is part of the domain name observed at the highest level in the domain name system structure. The way to understand it is that the part of a website’s URL after the final “.” is the TLD. The most common examples are .com, .edu, .gov, and .org. TLDs are fundamentally classified into two main types: generic top-level domains (gTLDs) and country-code top-level domains (ccTLDs). gTLDs include domains like .com, .net, .org, .info, while ccTLDs include ones like .us for the United States, .ca for Canada, .de for Germany, etc. (Source: Norton by Symantec)
The “.kpmg” TLD is a branded TLD, also considered a gTLD. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) created branded TLDs to allow companies, such as KPMG, to fully manage a domain that carries their name. KPMG is one of the early adopters of a new personalized Internet address system that moves them away from the generic .com and towards a branded top-level domain. Such TLDs carry the name of the brand (e.g., .google, .apple, .bbc).
KPMG’s switch to “.kpmg” allows them to have more control over their online presence. The .kpmg domain has extensive security measures in place, ensuring that only verified KPMG entities can host a website with the .kpmg suffix. This serves as an additional security layer, guaranteeing user safety when browsing their sites, and increasing customer trust towards the brand. (Source: CentralNic Group PLC)
A search of ICANN’s TLD registry reveals .kpmg as a valid TLD that is managed by KPMG International Cooperative (KPMG International). This move offers the firm a unique marketing and branding opportunity. While .com TLDs don’t provide much information about the website, .kpmg instantly identifies the site as part of KPMG’s official online presence (Source: ICANN).
KPMG’s adoption of a branded TLD is an innovative step of using the domain space for brand enhancement, security improvement, and customer trust building. It’s expected more corporations will follow this path in the future, as the internet continues its shift from a generic domain space towards a more brand and identity-centered one.
