Bob Parsons built a domain empire.
GoDaddy, the biggest domain registrar in the world, made news headlines today after announcing the acquisition of Google Domain Ventures, Inc.
The latter, is a Google Labs product that was recently announced as the future domain registrar of Google.
However, plans have changed, apparently.
“We have acquired Google’s domain division, in a strategic move to manage our market share in the domain industry,” said GoDaddy spokesperson, Nataly Good.
“As with everything in business that poses a valid threat, it’s best to pony up the cash when the obstacle is still small!” exclaimed Good, laughing.
The acquisition of Google Domain Ventures, Inc. for $4.8 Billion dollars, is expected to be completed before the much anticipated GoDaddy IPO.
By performing this merger, GoDaddy will also acquire the Google Domain Ventures, Inc. team of 24 engineers, 7 programmers, 2 Mongo developers and a self-proclaimed “domainer”.
Google Domain Ventures, Inc. will initially continue to operate under its current name, without any brand modifications, as part of an agreement to provide email support – a feature that has been canceled at GoDaddy recently.
Clearly, an indication of future things to come in the expanding Internet namespace.
Because we need less competition in the registrar space. Because we all want to be overcharged by GD with them raising renewal prices, cutting their renewal discounts, and limiting their registration codes a ton of late when they could easily make more codes or allow them to be reused. Instead we have to hunt for 30+ minutes to find ones that work. All a game perpetuated by a company already making billions but still content to completely waste our time. No one offering competitive discount codes Namecheap has some transfer discounts but nothing like the $0.99 GD has to lure you in so you’re trapped (until Namecheap started offering transfers but they’re only 2 bucks cheaper than GD’s renewal rates).
Google better take them down and give them REAL competition and codes of their own. We need real competition in the industry or GD will have a monopoly eventually if they don’t effectively have one now. Nobody has any reason to go elsewhere because the $2 transfer savings going to Namecheap is not worth it for most domainers. Go Daddy can KISS MY ASS! Ah, I feel much better now…