You have to give the AICPA credit, they are serious about branding "CPA" in our brave new world. From the press release that arrived in my mailbox this morning:
The American Institute of CPAs is working to secure a new .cpa domain extension on the Internet, which would provide a globally recognized calling card for CPAs in the digital world.
The AICPA has a pending bid to administer the .cpa domain before the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the organization that coordinates the Internet’s naming system. ICANN has been reviewing scores of applications for new domain extensions – known formally as generic Top-Level Domains, or gTLDs – that businesses, governments and community groups can operate.
“We live in a digital age and .cpa offers a way to instantly convey a CPA’s professional standing in online communications,” said AICPA President and CEO Barry C. Melancon, CPA, CGMA. “As global opportunities expand and more business is conducted virtually, that’s a tremendous benefit.”
I have to ask: does this mean they will rebrand CPA.com into CPA.cpa? Because that would be awesome.
It's worth noting that the AICPA has a plan bigger than peddling .cpa to its members who wish to double down on their trustworthiness among the community (because any clown can buy a .com address, after all).
As part of its efforts in this area, the AICPA recently reached an agreement with CPA Australia to distribute .cpa domain names to their community members, should the U.S. organization’s bid be successful. The two groups agreed to work together because of their common goal of promoting trust in CPAs worldwide.
Alex Malley, chief executive of CPA Australia, said the partnership with the AICPA is in keeping with the two organizations’ commitment to maximize opportunities for CPAs.
“This agreement recognizes the value of a digital brand identity in today’s rapidly changing business environment,” Malley said. “By obtaining the .cpa domain through this unprecedented partnership, we would put CPAs firmly in the vanguard of digital innovation.”
Yes, it puts CPAs around the world right up there with innovative porn sites that have been using .xxx despite the fact that the most popular free porn sites are still .com (don't ask how I know that, I just do).
Wouldn't non-American CPAs using .cpa add confusion? "Hey, I did a search of .cpa addresses and found this great CPA… in Perth."
But hey, good luck with that, guys.
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