SANDVIK is a top-level domain (TLD) that refers to the web space owned by Sandvik company. Sandvik is a high-technology engineering group in tools and tooling systems for metal cutting, equipment, tools and services for the mining and construction industries, products in advanced stainless steel, and special alloys as well as products for industrial heating. The company originates from Sweden and has a global presence.
When a company or organization has a specific top-level domain, it has been approved by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). The definition of top-level domains is maintained by this international body and it includes commonly recognized ones such as .com, .org, and .net, but also those for specific companies or organizations, of which .sandvik is one.
The rights to the use of the .sandvik TLD are exclusive to the Sandvik company itself, primarily because TLDs bear a significant role in securing the company’s identity on the internet and enhancing its digital presence. When a web user sees a URL ending in .sandvik, they can be assured that the website is directly related to the Sandvik company.
The .sandvik TLD falls under the category of brand TLDs, a concept that came into existence in 2012 when ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) started to allow companies to apply for their own branded top-level domains.
A branded domain name can be beneficial to a company in several ways. For example, for Sandvik, the .sandvik TLD helps strengthen its brand presence online, increase customer trust by showing that the website is genuinely owned by Sandvik, and can be used for specific marketing campaigns or product promotions.
However, as mentioned earlier, the use of such TLDs is fairly regulated. According to ICANN rules, a company that has been granted a brand TLD like .sandvik will not be allowed to sell individual domains to people outside of the company. The purpose of these rules is to maintain trust in these TLDs and to ensure that they are genuinely representative of the brands they connect to.
Sources:
- Sandvik official website (home.sandvik)
- IANA Root Database (iana.org/domains/root/db)
- ICANN New gTLD Program (icann.org/resources/pages/gtld-2012-02-25-en)
- RFC 1591, Domain Name System Structure and Delegation (tools.ietf.org/html/rfc1591)
- ICANN TLD Application Process (newgtlds.icann.org/en/applicants/global-support/faqs/faqs-en)
