[July 22, 2011] Google Buys G.CO to Launch Official Shortcut for Google Products and Services Tweet Jul 22, 2011 (Close-Up Media via COMTEX) -- .CO Internet S.A.S. announced that Google has acquired the domain name G.CO and will use the URL to connect, communicate and engage with customers by launching an official shortcut for Google's products and services. The Registry also announced that Silicon Valley Seed Fund and Incubator, 500 Startups, will be rebranding its web address from 500Startups.com to 500.CO. The Company said the .CO domain has attracted more than one million registrations by individuals, organizations and businesses in more than 200 countries worldwide, including brands like Twitter, Amazon and Overstock - and hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs around the globe. In an announcement on the official Google Blog, Gary Briggs, Google's VP of Consumer Marketing, announced that G.CO would soon be the "official URL shortcut for Google websites." Only Google will be able to create G.CO shortcuts, said Briggs; that means "you can visit a G.CO shortcut confident you will always end up at a page for a Google product or service." "We are thrilled to have Google join the select group of premium Internet brands that are using the .CO domain to innovate online," said Juan Diego Calle, CEO of .CO Internet SAS. "By featuring G.CO in its product and service marketing efforts worldwide, we are confident that Google will help to drive massive awareness and adoption of the .CO domain extension in the years ahead." Silicon Valley seed fund and incubator, 500 Startups, also announced that it will be rebranding its web address from 500Startups.com to 500.CO this Fall. Founded by Internet entrepreneur, Dave McClure, 500 Startups has become one of the most prolific forces in today's startup ecosystem, currently operating over 150 companies spanning five continents. ".CO is quickly becoming the hot new geek TLD in Silicon Valley," said McClure, in a blog post today on the 500 Startups blog. "At 500 Startups we focus on doing things faster, making cycle time shorter, and simplifying brand - we know no one will care about your product if it's not fast, easy-to-use, and memorable. We want to OWN the brand 500, and 500.CO helps us get there." "From the very beginning, .CO was built by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs," said Lori Anne Wardi, Vice President of .CO Internet SAS. "By making 500.CO its online brand, 500 Startups will role model to entrepreneurs in every corner of the world that .CO is the premium domain of choice to build the next generation of great companies online." "With .CO, startups can launch businesses and brands on a short, cool, credible domain name -- without having to shell out a million bucks to do it," says McClure. "That's why we recommend .CO to companies in our portfolio, and why 500startups.com is moving to 500.CO." .CO Internet is the Registry Operator for the .CO top-level domain. More Information: www.Opportunity.co ((Comments on this story may be sent to [email protected])) [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]