[Techtaffy Newsdesk]

Demand Media has acquired Denver-based domain name registrar Name.com. The acquisition is intended to expand Demand Media’s platform as it prepares for the release of new Top Level Domains (TLDs) this year.

Founded in 2003, Name.com customers have registered nearly 1.5 million domains. As the second largest registrar in the World, Demand Media’s eNom subsidiary has over 13.5 million domain names on its platform registered by over 8,800 resellers and partners.

Richard Rosenblatt (Chairman and CEO, Demand Media): Name.com will provide a direct channel for us to reach consumers and small businesses as they develop and manage their online identities.

Demand Media will retain the Denver-based team and the business will report to Taryn Naidu, executive vice president, Registrar Services.

In 2011, ICANN initiated the process for creating new domain extensions as a way to increase domain name choices for memorable or descriptive web addresses (for example, integritymortgagesolutions.com can become integrity.mortgage or integritymortgage.solutions).

Last June, ICANN announced it had received 1,930 applications for new TLDs that were submitted by entrepreneurs, businesses, governments and communities around the world looking to operate a TLD registry of their own choosing.