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Google Businesses The Internet

Google Eyes Domain Registration Market 239

Posted by timothy from the they-know-what-domains-you've-searched-for dept.
1sockchuck writes "Google is now an ICANN-approved domain name registrar, an intriguing move that could be tied to its blog hosting service, Blogger. Yahoo recently dropped its domain prices to $4.98, as hosting companies use domains as a cheap way to lure customers. Registrar status could allow Google to compete aggressively on price. Bloggers seem to resist paying for hosting, so cheap domains might help Google's plans for world domination."
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Google Eyes Domain Registration Market More

Google Eyes Domain Registration Market

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  • The possibilities... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by trekstar25 ( 727712 ) on Monday January 31, 2005 @06:23PM (#11534394) Homepage
    They could easily pair this with a free hosting solution, something like Geocities, perhaps - a gig of free website development space, as long as you put the AdWords on it.
    • They already can provide free hosting since they are going to store the data anyway. It makes it an easy problem if they can build a blog engine that keeps stuff in their own stripped down format but still look good for the people reading.
    • And, why not? Maybe they're somehow more able to efficiently search their own data-tanks than other companies'...

      The crazy thing is, I can see my someone as innocuous as my grandma opening up a rinky dink blog on quilting techniques and muffin recipes and generating more revenue through adwords than I'll ever make in my life as a frickin engineer...
    • Thats exactly what I was coming here to post.

      And they wouldnt even need to be a registrar:

      [mysite].google.com

      and they just need to manage the [mysite]

      Maybe even come up with something like:

      [mysite].[region].google.com

  • The question is... (Score:5, Funny)

    by froggero1 ( 848930 ) on Monday January 31, 2005 @06:23PM (#11534399)
    can I host my website out of gmail?

  • Monopoly (Score:2, Interesting)

    by mboverload ( 657893 )
    Email, books, images, video, domain name registration and more...When will they run everything ont he internet?

    • Re:Monopoly (Score:3, Interesting)

      by nizo ( 81281 ) *
      Yep, it looks like they have it all covered [google.com].

    • Re:Monopoly (Score:5, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 31, 2005 @06:31PM (#11534496)
      From Google-Rumor-Of-The-Day.com: "Breaking News: Google registers domain GSearch.com! In an apparent move to take over search engine giant Altavista, Google has registered the domain GSearch.com. Is Google about to move into the search engine market? Only time will tell."

      Oh wait a second...

    • Rent (Score:5, Funny)

      by ari_j ( 90255 ) on Monday January 31, 2005 @06:40PM (#11534599)
      Just wait until they land on the dark blue spaces, baby. I built 11 hotels on Boardwalk and 8 of them on Park Place. One of these times around the board, they're gonna desperately need that $200 from passing Go, because rent on my dark blue properties is $11 billion a hit.
    • People are switching away from google. 2 years ago google had 70% of the search market now they are hovering around 40% . With yahoo at 25% and remaining going to MSN, jeeves etc. With launch of msn new search engine, I can see google's market share going down even more.

      Market Share [uk.com]

  • So (Score:5, Interesting)

    by nizo ( 81281 ) * on Monday January 31, 2005 @06:23PM (#11534402) Homepage Journal
    Will domains registered through them rank higher in search results?

    • Re:So (Score:5, Insightful)

      by FrYGuY101 ( 770432 ) on Monday January 31, 2005 @06:26PM (#11534428) Journal
      Probably not.

      Google is an advertising company. If their results are skewed, people might start using a competitor, and they lose out on ad revenues.

      • Re:So (Score:3, Insightful)

        by fm6 ( 162816 )

        Google is an advertising company. If their results are skewed, people might start using a competitor, and they lose out on ad revenues.

        You're assuming they will act logically and with foresight. With Google, that's probably a safe assumption, but it hasn't been for other search engines. Infoseek, for example, got taken over by Disney, which turned it into a the "portal" go.com, and tried to con people into going to Disney-owned sites. To be fair, they did this with web page gimmicks, not by bogus search

      • Re:So (Score:2)

        by sporty ( 27564 )
        Not to burst your bubble, but they already skew their results. When they bought the adwords thing from about.com, part of the deal was to push about's rankings higher.

  • World domination (Score:5, Funny)

    by Cambrant ( 735036 ) on Monday January 31, 2005 @06:24PM (#11534411) Homepage
    It seems that Google is now competing for Microsofts held place as world ruler. They are literally getting into every buisness available. So far so good, but what's next? Google-approved real-estate? Google water supply?

  • Much better alternative to Verisign (Score:5, Interesting)

    by drewzhrodague ( 606182 ) <drew&zhrodague,net> on Monday January 31, 2005 @06:27PM (#11534436) Homepage Journal
    This is a much more attractive alternative to Verisign [verisign.com], even over fun names like GoDaddy [godaddy.com], and NameBargain [namebargain.com].

    Having done ISP work back in the day, I have personally submitted registrations on thousands of domains with the venerable Network Solutions. With Verisign and the recent mix, I have lost tons of my own personal domains I have collected over the years -- and registration on these things is quite expensive! Finally there are alternatives, and I think I would trust Google over Microsoft, Verisign, or the US Government. This is my Internet, and I don't want it fucked-up!

    Also, I think that Google doing root nameserver fun would be more like a DNS cache for them.

    • Re:Much better alternative to Verisign (Score:5, Interesting)

      by viva_fourier ( 232973 ) on Monday January 31, 2005 @07:03PM (#11534848) Journal
      Yes, but you have to ask how this fits into their quest to organize the world's information? I naively assume they don't intend to fubar 'your Internet', but this looks a lot like the whole gmail "we store your email forever" sort of deal.

      It seems this registration-scheme would enable them to organize new blogs/sites using their existing network-search framework. And, I can see blogs really taking off in the immediate future. If any of you have used Picasa + Hello + Blogger, you'll know what I mean. Scary Easy.

      Now, you get all sorts of random people posting their thoughts/musings/interests all over -- all being syphoned through Google's keyword-storing architecture. Sergey and Larry are no dummies: they've done their research in data mining. Why stop at data mining the existing information source, when you can create a new one?

      Time to go buy some tinfoil futures...
      • Yes, but you have to ask how this fits into their quest to organize the world's information?
        Perhaps it doesn't. Perhaps it's just a good way for them to capitalise on their brand name. Selling domain names is an automated, machine driven process, something they should be good at. Also they have a wider audience to sell domains to. The average Joe Blogger or Jemima Gmail might otherwise not consider getting a name but if it's offered cheaply the vanity value of it may be worthwhile.
    • Certainly no disputing that fact that Google has a history of reliability and knowing how to run big... well, okay, really really big systems.

      However, I'm not from the "everything Google does is great" camp. I've advertised with AdWords for the last couple years and I think the interface pretty much sucks. Not completely intuitive and there are lots of usability issues.

      Also, there has been talk of things that happened with google groups, although I'm not sure if they've been reversed but what I saw was
    • This might be an interesting comment, if it was anywhere close to accurate. Google is a registrar, not a registry. Network Solutions is a registrar (and, of course, no longer part of VeriSign). VeriSign is a registry, not a registrar.

      As a customer, you never deal directly with VeriSign anymore. However, the registrar you use does (if it's a com/net/cc/tv/etc. domain that VeriSign is the registry for), whether that's Gandi, GoDaddy, Register.com, or Google. Google isn't going to change that. Every tim

  • Lure? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by ATAMAH ( 578546 ) on Monday January 31, 2005 @06:29PM (#11534466)
    Is it only me, or does this particular word usage implies something not quite honest? I don't see anything wrong with having a loss leader - a product you may sell at prices below cost in order to gain customers which then can be upsold with other services - hosting and etc.

    • Re:Lure? (Score:3, Insightful)

      by laughingcoyote ( 762272 )

      WRONG with that? I love that marketing strategy, because I know about it!

      Company X offers loss leader/free bait. Take loss leader/free bait. Ignore upsell treatment because company Y offers what's being upsold as loss leader/free bait in an attempt to sell you what you're getting cheap/free from company X.

      Rinse, repeat. You'll wind up paying very little or nothing for both sides of the equation.

      I think a lot of people confuse loss-leader marketing (legal and perfectly ethical) with bait-and-switch mar

  • Thank you ICANN !! (Score:3, Funny)

    by GamesNET ( 786409 ) on Monday January 31, 2005 @06:33PM (#11534519)
    Great ! Now our domains can get hijacked at newer, bigger registrars! Thank you ICANN !

  • how about certificates? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by ch-chuck ( 9622 ) on Monday January 31, 2005 @06:41PM (#11534601) Homepage
    I.e., affordable certificates, give verisign more competition - call 'em gcerts or something.

  • Can't wait for the new TLD (Score:5, Funny)

    by ScentCone ( 795499 ) on Monday January 31, 2005 @06:45PM (#11534650)
    I mean, .GOO has so many possibilities in pr0n alone. And nanotech.

  • yahoo DOES NOT offer $4.98 per domain (Score:5, Informative)

    by xoba ( 725894 ) on Monday January 31, 2005 @06:51PM (#11534718) Homepage
    yahoo DOES NOT offer $4.98 per domain --- terms are strictly limited to ONE domain per NEW customer; after that, their $9.95 per domain per year applies:

    "Domains price Offer is open to new customers that purchase Domains. Limit one offer per customer, and one use per customer on a single account. Offer expires February 08, 2005 at 11:59 PM PST. Offers may not be combined with any other offers or discounts, separated, redeemed for cash, or transferred. Other terms and conditions apply; see the Yahoo! Small Business Terms of Service when you sign up."

  • The real reason they did this is because ... (Score:5, Funny)

    by crispenigl ( 456776 ) on Monday January 31, 2005 @06:52PM (#11534737) Homepage

    Google is tired of everyone learning what they are up to via domain name registerations.

    Now, they will be able to register domain names for secret projects, and keep the domain names secret :)

  • Google OS (Score:5, Interesting)

    by serutan ( 259622 ) <snoopdougNO@SPAMgeekazon.com> on Monday January 31, 2005 @06:53PM (#11534751) Homepage
    I've said it before and I'll say it again here. When Google creates its own Linux distro incorporating Google features into the desktop, that's when Microsoft can put up the sign, "Last one out turn off the lights."

    • The Internet is the OS (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Infonaut ( 96956 ) <infonaut@gmail.com> on Monday January 31, 2005 @07:22PM (#11535079) Homepage Journal
      When Google creates its own Linux distro incorporating Google features into the desktop, that's when Microsoft can put up the sign, "Last one out turn off the lights."

      I think of it a bit differently. It's not really about the desktop at all. Microsoft was born in the era when the desktop operating system ruled. But Google was born in the Internet Era, and it shows in their strategy. Their goal seems to be to develop a wide array of applications that live on the Internet, thereby obviating the need for a desktop monopoly. If everything is on the Net, who really cares what OS you're using?

      Microsoft comes at it from the opposite direction, attempting to extend their desktop operating system to the Internet. But the Achilles Heel of this strategy is backward compatibility. Microsoft has to support its legacy operating systems, and no matter what they do to attempt to take over the Internet, they can't adequately leverage their desktop OS monopoly because they have to first convince people that it's worth the money to upgrade to gain the benefits of the Microsoft Internet.

      Google is constantly improving their applications and they don't have to worry about legacy operating system issues. They can simply piggyback off of Internet standards and when they do push into the OS, they're leveraging Microsoft's immense investment in Windows. It doesn't really matter whether Linux, Windows, or the Mac is dominant, as far as Google is concerned. As long as no one is able to box them out by controlling access to the Web, Google is limited only by their ability to deliver great web apps.

      • The parent post sums up Google's strategy for future growth fairly well I think. Mod parent up!
      • Ok, but what about stuff like Desktop Search and Picasa? You can run both of these without an internet connection, though they both have some web integration parts (that are very similar to how Microsoft integrates its legacy apps with the web.)

        I think Google's strategy is to NOT have a clear strategy. They seem much more interested in developing technology just because it is interesting to somebody. There is definitely a bit of the dot-com arrogance with them, i.e. the notion that they can come up with

  • Y'know... (Score:3, Funny)

    by CanSpice ( 300894 ) on Monday January 31, 2005 @06:58PM (#11534804) Homepage
    I'm really enjoying being able to use the Googlenet.

  • Could be good (Score:4, Insightful)

    by digitalgimpus ( 468277 ) on Monday January 31, 2005 @07:03PM (#11534849) Homepage
    Google tends to have a good eye for simple interfaces for managing things:

    - Search
    - Gmail
    - Blogger
    - Picasa
    - Google Desktop

    If google carries that tradition forward, I could see myself transfering my domains to them rather them, since they tend to be:

    1. Competitive pricing seems crucial at google. Everything is free or low cost.

    2. Quality

    3. Good support. Google does respond. I had an issue with Google Desktop, and Gmail... both times I got a quick response. Amazingly. I was shocked.

    I can't say the above for any of the major registrar's on the market.

    So if Google expands beyond bloggers and allows domain (especially bulk) registration/transfer.... I'm in.

    • > Help me get a mini mac!

      How to get a mini mac in five easy steps:

      1.) Earn $500, mowing lawns, singing telegrams, or be a cam whore.
      2.) Go to apple.com or your closest Apple Store.
      3.) Buy said mini mac.
      4.) Wait until it's delivered.
      5.) PROFIT!!

  • Blogging? How about gmail on your own domain? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by damieng ( 230610 ) on Monday January 31, 2005 @07:04PM (#11534865) Homepage Journal
    Everybody's speculating on how this could let Google charge a fee for Bloggers to have their own domain name. Bloggers already have an FTP to your own server option so this doesn't add much.

    Surely much more interesting is the concept of Gmail with your own domain name.

    With an administration tool allowing Joe User to setup family and friend create email accounts under your their domain name with Google taking care of all the scanning/filtering/storage.

    Such an option would give them something different to Hotmail and YahooMail to the point of being something worth paying for. Sure some ISP's already offer this but none of the web interfaces I've seen touch GMail.

    That might even explain why it's still in beta...
    • Thats kind of what Im doing right now. Ive got an email server at my domain that just forawards evreythign to gmail, and gmail just labels evreything I send out as having been sent from said email address (well the reply to anyways).
    • I had this idea [slashdot.org] a few months ago, but I wasn't expecting Google to become a registrar. For the average user, buying a domain and pointing the MX entries at Google would be a lot of work. It looks even more plausible now, because Google would tie it all together really nicely and make it very simple to sign up. If you don't want @gmail, you type in your own domain, buy it, and Google handles the DNS as well as everything else. It's perfect!

      Good point about it being Beta still. It is very stable, so people w

  • You get what you pay for (Score:5, Interesting)

    by ErichTheWebGuy ( 745925 ) on Monday January 31, 2005 @07:07PM (#11534905) Homepage
    I bought a domain from someone once who originally bought the name from Yahoo domains. When I tried to get it transferred, I ran into a whole host of problems. The official reply from Yahoo when I tried to contact their technical support staff:

    "Dear valued Yahoo customer,
    We are sorry, but Yahoo is unable to offer technical support for Yahoo domains."

    So I tried calling Melbourne IT (Yahoo resells Melbourne registrations), who of course told me to call Yahoo.

    I wouldn't worry much about Yahoo having competition, tehy seem to be doing a very good job of shooting themselves in the foot anyway.

  • .blog (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Duncan3 ( 10537 ) on Monday January 31, 2005 @07:21PM (#11535074) Homepage
    We need to force all blogs onto the .blog domain - then we can just filter out all of them at the DNS.

    Billions of pictures of peoples cats would no longer terrify the world, woohoo!
  • all your domain are belong to us
  • Assuming the idea is to allow Joe User to setup a home email & website all via google, would it be possible to leverage the infamous google cookie? Since the cookie would already provide information on how said Joe User searches, could tracking him back to his homepage provide solid, real-life demographics (45% of Joe's who like beer have a family page etc...) Could this be where they're going with this?

  • domain registrar + dark-fibre = ? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by cosmic_0x526179 ( 209008 ) on Monday January 31, 2005 @07:47PM (#11535314)
    ... perhaps a new entry in the hosting market. After all, they do have a deep understanding of distributing content around the world. It also makes it somewhat easier for them to crawl the content of said servers.

  • Good News... (Score:2, Insightful)

    by MrChester ( 844882 )
    Personally, I think google's controlling all these different things is great. They have delivered on almost every single thing they've attempted. They combine power and simplicity in a way everyone loves, and maybe when most of your services are through google, they can link some things together (with appropiate security though) if google ever becomes corrupt then we can just move on

  • when looking for companies these days (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Pivot ( 4465 ) on Monday January 31, 2005 @07:54PM (#11535367)
    I often find myself writing the company name in the google search field than trying to find a randomly similar url. I think having specific domain names is loosing its importance these days because the namespace is so highly utilized.
  • Why Google is the new Microsoft: How a great thing turns evil.

  • gmail @ myowndomain (Score:2, Interesting)

    by frapas ( 855202 )
    It's clear that google will sell domain name powered by gmail accounts. So registering yourfavouritenamehere.com with google you will get @yourfavouritenamehere.com mail addresses trasparently usable through gmail webmail.
  • When the URL namespace gets crowded, a good search engine is the answer. The more people register domain names, the more they need to use a search engine to disambiguate the various URLs that may or may not correspond to what they're looking for. Providing cheap domain registration will lead more people to use Google to search for a particular website rather than attempting to remember a URL.
  • Eventually Google will be the all powerful conglomeration that is taking over the world, and we will soon hate them for their (in the future) e-mail system that can't get out of beta, search results that aren't unique anymore and some other innovation surpassed them, slow updates for the registrar, pressing it's might into all standards and gobbling up patents, etc...

    C'mon google... keep it simple. I don't want to have to start hating you...
  • There is so much congestion in that market. Although google could easily get a great deal of business through that it would be one of those things that could in the future come and bite them...

    but i would buy a domain from google if it was auto submitted into their search engine etc free or for a nominal life time fee..

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