ICANN, the authority empowered to issue new domain names to relieve the current overburdened internet infrastructure had revealed that over 1900 applications had been received for new internet addresses. Google and Amazon were among the frontrunners to cover their bases with niche domain names in view of emerging markets and user profiles that might use the internet.
Not surprisingly, Google has placed over 100 requests that would have certainly required high investments considering that each domain name was priced at $185,000 plus expenses. While common names such as .inc and .app saw several companies vying for a chance to own that name, others such as .apple went straight to the global multinational company without any contest.
However, Google seems to have eyed the profile of emerging users and had applied for niche and unusual names such as .love, .mom, .wow, and even .dog, among others. Amazon too made around 75 applications for strange domain names such as .like, .joy, and even .zero.
On the other hand, social networking giants such as Facebook and Twitter submitted no applications at all, which surprised industry experts. There are also 116 applications made for names that contained no Latin alphabets, which would allow the internet to expand into local markets dominated by regional languages.
Microsoft Corporation too placed applications for 11 domains such as .Microsoft, .Bing, .azure, .windows, and .Xbox, among others. Once the names are allotted to specific applicants, then it might still take a long time stretching over months or years before they make it on computer screens.
Several governments of various countries too want a larger say in allotment and monitoring of internet space although ICANN maintains that it has provided a fair chance for everyone to apply for the new domains. Internet users will need to be ready to get bombarded with a slew of new normal and unusual domain names in the future.