Google purchased
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz.com
Now that Google
is Alphabet, it's going to need some extra URLs to match its new
identity.
The
official website for Alphabet – ABC.xyz – was launched by Google back in
August.
"We realized we missed a
few letters in abc.xyz,
so we're just being thorough," a Google representative told in
an emailed statement.
Google’s new url was originally
created in 1999 and was privately owned before it’s transferred to Google. Google
is now registered as the owner of the site under Whois records.
Clicking on the URL today leads to an
inactive site, and we wouldn't expect that to change anytime soon. The internet
address may be easy to remember, but it's not one that most people would
relish typing.
Google: A timeline of Major Events
Google
has come a long way in the past 20 years. Here are some of the key events in
the company's history
1995
The
founders meet
Google
founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin meet at Stanford University. Mr Brin, 21,
is assigned to show Mr Page around the campus.
1996
The
search engine project
The
pair begin to work together on a search engine called BackRub as part of a
research project.
1997
Google.com
hits the web
Google.com
is registered as a domain, the name having been chosen as a play on the word
“googol”, the number one followed by 100 zeroes, to represent the near-infinite
amount of content on the web.
1998
The
company is incorporated
Google
as a company is launched, filing for incorporation in California. The first
office is in a garage.
1999
New
offices
The
company outgrows the garage and moves to new premises in Palo Alto with eight
employees, then later the same year another relocation takes the company to
Mountain View, where Google employs its first chef. The company raises $25m in
equity funding.
2000
The
world's largest search engine
Google
is launched in ten new languages. Today search is available in more than 150
languages. In June Google becomes the world’s largest search engine, with an
index of one billion pages.
2001
Eric
Schmidt appointed CEO. Eric
Schmidt, a former director of Apple, becomes chairman of the board of
directors, then in August he is appointed CEO. Meanwhile Mr Page is president
of products and Mr Brin president of technology. The same year, Google image
search launches.
2002
AdWords
introduced
Google
AdWords, first launched in 2000, is given an overhaul with cost-per-click
pricing. Google News launches, as does Google Labs which allows users to try
out beta technologies from the research and development team.
2003
Blogger
creators acquired
The
company acquires Pyra Labs, creators of Blogger. Google AdSense is launched.
2004
Google
floats
Google
launches its IPO with a share price of $85. The company is valued at $27bn.
Email service Gmail is launched. Google acquires Keyhole, a digital mapping
company which later helps create Google Earth. The European headquarters in
Dublin open.
2005
Google
maps the world
February
sees the launch of Google Maps and in June Google Earth is introduced.
2006
Google
buys YouTube
In
October, the company announces the acquisition of video site YouTube. A number
of new features launch this year including Google Calendar, Google Translate
and Google Docs and Spreadsheets.
2007
Android
launched
In
November, Google announces Android, the first open platform for mobile devices.
Also this year, Google is named the best company to work for by Fortune. Street
View is started in five US cities. But Google Earth receives some bad press as
intelligence sources warn terrorists are using aerial footage from the feature
to target British bases in Basra.
2008
The
introduction of Chrome
Web
browser Google Chrome is launched. Google Suggest, now known as Autocomplete,
is introduced on Google.com, predicting search queries.
2009
Google
supports innovation
Google
Ventures is announced, a fund aimed to support innovation and new technology
companies.
2010
Nexus
devices and driverless technology
The
Nexus series of smartphone and tablet devices using the Android operating system
is launched. Google announces the development of technology for self-driving
cars.
2011
Larry
Page reinstated as CEO
Larry
Page becomes CEO, ten years after he passed the title to Eric Schmidt, who is
now named executive chairman. Google+ is launched.
2012
Google
campaigns against censorship
Google
is part of the campaign against the SOPA and PIPA bills in the US, saying they
would censor the internet and impede innovation. In April, Google Glass is
unveiled, as is Google Drive, a file creation and sharing platform.
2013
Shares
pass the $1,000 mark
Less
than a decade after Google’s flotation, shares hit $1,000. A milestone for
Android as it passes one billion device activations.
2014
Stock
split
A
stock split creates a new level of non-voting shares and cements Mr Page and Mr
Brin’s control over the company.
2015
Alphabet
becomes holding company in big corporate overhaul
A
massive corporate overhaul separates Google’s core business from its research
divisions with a new holding company, Alphabet, of which Mr Page will be chief
executive.
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