Apple bags iCloud.com domain for $4.5m, says report

iRain down data centre sleet on you

Apple has reportedly bought the iCloud.com domain name for $4.5m.

According to Gigaom's Om Malik, who cites a source familiar with Sweden-based former iCloud.com owner Xcerion, the transaction took place recently.

To add fuel to the rumour, Xcerion's storage-as-a-cloud service recently morphed into a new domain name of CloudMe.com.

The firm made the online moniker switch on 5 April, but Whois records still show Xcerion as the owner of the iCloud.com domain.

Similarly, typing iCloud.com into a browser's url field currently redirects surfers to CloudMe.com.

Xcerion also currently owns the iCloud trademark.

In recent weeks, the Jobsian outfit has poached Microsoft's data centre general manager Kevin Timmons, in a move that clearly signifies Apple's plans to get serious about clouds.

The company has also been readying its North Carolina data centre for action. ®

Bubblenote

CloudMe is certainly celebrating the rebrand by splashing its website with pictures of champagne and party hats - after all, $4.5m buys a lot of bubbles.