Add General Motors to the list of companies that have withdrawn their application for a New gTLD with ICANN as .GMC has becomes the 15th withdrawn New gTLD application.

The application which had a priority number of 1911 which means General Motors didn’t bother to spend the $100 to pull a ticket in the prioritization draw.

General Motors known throughout the world as GM planned on operating the .GMC extension on a closed basis, not allowing members of the public to register a .GMC domain.

Although General Motors has withdrawn its application for .GMC it still has 4 other new gTLD applications for; .BUICK .CADILLAC .CHEVROLET and .CHEVY

Here is how GM described the .GMC TLD:

“”The Applicant plans to operate the proposed .gmc gTLD as a restricted, exclusively-controlled TLD and as such it will not be commercially offered for registration to the general public.

“As a result, we believe the proposed .gmc gTLD will add to the current namespace in several areas:

“Competition – As technology advances, so too do customer expectations of companies online. They expect that companies will utilize the latest and greatest technology and online practices to improve the user experience, protect their information and deliver quality service. Applicant anticipates that the proposed .gmc gTLD will enable it to communicate, interact and protect data in ways and under conditions not possible under the existing namespace, thus enabling Applicant and its affiliated entities to meet future customer expectations and competitive market demands.

“Differentiation – While today companies, like Applicant’s company, can register brand strings at the second-level (eg., gm.com), the proliferation of cybersquatting and typo squatting has placed a great burden on consumers to carefully tread online because there is no guarantee on the face of the domain name string that what looks like a branded website is indeed an authorized website of the brand owner. The proposed .gmc gTLD will enable employees, customers, dealers, suppliers, other business partners and Internet users to distinguish, on the face of the domain name alone, whether the site is an authorized company site because the gTLD will be a restricted, exclusively- controlled online environment where only authorized company web properties and e-mail will exist and operate online.

“Innovation – The proposed .gmc gTLD as a restricted, exclusively-controlled TLD will provide Applicant’s company with a new platform on which to build future innovation of its online brand presence and products.

“Studies have shown that the car buying decision-making process is largely driven by online research performed by consumers. With the continued growth of the online channel in importance and significance, it is critical that Applicant and its affiliated entities utilize all new online tools available to ensure current and potential product⁄service customers can quickly find authorized, accurate product and service information.

“The proposed .gmc will help Applicant increase consumer confidence in online content it makes available through websites utilizing its gTLD and provide a trusted destination for consumers to select from online search results.

“Service levels –One of the key goals of the proposed .gmc gTLD is to create a restricted, exclusively-controlled online environment for employees, customers (current and potential), dealers, suppliers and other business partners which will increase customer confidence and trust in conducting business online. T

“Through greater use of online tools by employees, customers (current and potential), dealers, suppliers and other business partners, Applicant’s company expects to further streamline business processes, reduce turn-around times, provide more personalized service and improve overall customer service delivery and satisfaction.

“Reputation – Applicant’s company has a reputation of excellence in customer satisfaction and innovation. With the online channel growing in importance, one of the goals of the proposed .gmc gTLD is to position Applicant’s company to meet future customer expectations and competitive market demands to ensure it can continue to grow its reputation in the automobile industry and in the global marketplace.”

Of the 15 withdrawn applications 10 of them are for .Brands