Google is selling off its internet domain division, Google Domains, to the website creating service Squarespace, according to PC Mag. When asked why they were intent on selling the service, Google’s Vice-President was quoted as saying it was to “sharpen its focus.”
Current users will not be affected, as this notice mentions, and will be instead transitioned over to Squarespace. Provided they meet certain time windows, users are able to transfer domains from one registrar to another if Squarespace is not to their liking.
Google domains enabled many consumers to purchase internet domains (the address to a website) using their Google account. A majority of Americans own a Google account, used for accessing Gmail, which made domain purchasing accessible to a wide audience who would otherwise not know about it. Google Domains also gave an opportunity to users to purchase Google Workspace, the office suite comparable to Microsoft Office, if they wanted to use their domain to receive email.
Google’s discontinuing of prior services has become a humorous theme for some, leading to the creation of killedbygoogle.com. The website keeps track of all services that Google has decided to shut off, including Domains, and previously the video call app Duo or the Google+ social network to name a few.
This has been a sore point for Google early adopters who enjoy Google’s products and are disappointed when they are shut down. However, this regular culling of unprofitable or awkward applications shows that the company continues to be resilient and is willing to adapt to changes in the market to stay competitive.
