This year marks 30 years since the first .com domain name – Symbolics.com – was registered, and the internet and world as we knew it changed forever. Verisign, the authoritative registry operator of .com, is celebrating its 30th anniversary and the remarkable impact .com has had on the economy and culture.
In the last 30 years, the internet has evolved from an unknown phenomenon used primarily by academics and researchers to a global communication, commerce and information sharing channel that few could imagine life without; in fact, nearly three billion people around the world are online today, and more than $300 billion in U.S. e-commerce sales and over $1.3 trillion in global e-commerce sales rely on the internet.
As the internet has evolved and grown, .com has grown alongside it. .com websites are accessed trillions of times each day. Companies use .com’s global recognition and brand appeal to grow their businesses and reach customers worldwide. Millions of entrepreneurs have realized their dreams by building their businesses online with .com, and the biggest names in business have branded their business with a .com address, making .com synonymous with the internet.
To celebrate 30 years of .com and all of the online businesses that have found success because of it, Verisign launched the #InternetOfficial contest in January, giving those who register a .com domain name through a participating registrar and enter it into the Verisign #InternetOfficial contest by April 30, 2015, an opportunity to win up to $35,000.
With the total number of possible .com domain names tallied at over 10 to the 98th power, and nearly half of all .com domain names consisting of two or more English keywords, there is an extraordinary opportunity to register a memorable, descriptive, and original domain name on .com. Visit VerisignInternetOfficial.com to get your .com and enter it in the #InternetOfficial contest.
To see more information about the remarkable impact .com has had on society and business around the globe, check out our Celebrating #30YearsofCOM infographic. Leave a comment and tell us how .com has enhanced your life.
