The top-level domain (TLD) “VANGUARD” is a brand TLD, and is specifically associated with The Vanguard Group, Inc., an American registered investment adviser providing services to over 20 million investors in the U.S. and overseas.
Top-level domain (TLD) identifies the most general part of the domain in an Internet address and is always the last part. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) manages these domains and classifies them into several categories, one of which is brand TLDs. These are unique to the companies that apply for and manage them (Webnames). Companies like The Vanguard Group, Inc. use brand TLDs to ensure the authenticity of their web presence.
The brand TLD “.vanguard” was delegated to The Vanguard Group, Inc. in 2016, by ICANN via ICANN’s New gTLD Program (ICANNWiki). This program, introduced in 2012, enhances competition, innovation, and consumer choice in the domain name space. It allows businesses, individuals and communities to apply for a TLD of their own.
The use of a brand TLD like “.vanguard” provides several advantages. It can improve the online security by providing a controlled domain environment, minimizing the risk of a customer visiting a spoofed site. It enhances brand promotion and visibility online. It also provides a shorter and more memorable URL for the customers.
For example, rather than having a lengthy URL like “www.vanguardinvestmentservices.com,” The Vanguard Group, inc. could possibly have a much simpler “www.invest.vanguard,” which is user-friendly and easier to remember.
Despite these benefits, the uptake of brand TLDs has been relatively slow. As of 2020, ICANN had delegated only about 1200 new TLDs, a small percentage of which are brand TLDs (CENTR).
Many other renowned companies such as Barclays (.barclays), Canon (.canon), and BMW (.bmw), have also registered and are now using their brand TLDs.
To conclude, the top-level domain “VANGUARD” is a Brand TLD owned by The Vanguard Group, Inc. It offers advantages such as improved online security, enhanced brand visibility, and a simplified and memorable URL. However, the use of brand TLDs has been relatively slow to take off, even amongst major international companies.
Sources:
- ICANNWiki – Delegation Report – https://icannwiki.org/Delegation\_Report
- CENTR – CENTRstats Global TLD Report Q4/2020 –https://stats.centr.org/stats/global/
- Webnames – What is a Top-Level Domain (TLD)? – https://www.webnames.ca/help/resources/about/new-tld-guide/faqs/what-is-a-tld
- ICANN – About The Program – https://newgtlds.icann.org/en/about/program
