GoDaddy and Google Making Moves in Scottsdale

Two major internet technology companies have been making big moves in Scottsdale, one that’s locally based and one that isn’t. Maybe you’ve heard of them. Do the names Google and Go Daddy ring a bell?

Google

Last week Google held its annual Zeitgeist conference at the ultra-chic Intercontinental Montelucia Resort in Scottsdale. With the theme as “Mindshift” for 2010, the focus was on new perspectives, which was certainly exhibited in the form of Google CEO Eric Schmidt’s public announcement during the conference that his company will be launching its own social networking platform, called “Google Me.” Schmidt says the plan is to add a social layer to Google’s already existing components, and that certain aspects are scheduled to be implemented by the end of the year.

The conference drew a prestigious roster of speakers and participants, including Ted Turner, Tom Brokaw, will.i.am, Sebastian Junger, A.G. Lafley, and many, many others.

Go Daddy

Also recently, Scottsdale-based web hosting and domain registration site Go Daddy was put up for sale, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. Rumor has it that Go Daddy wears a price tag of $1 billion-plus and is being shopped around to private equity investors. Not long after word got out about Go Daddy being put on the market, the company announced it was adding bestowing another lucky lady with the “Go Daddy Girl” title. Joining the ranks of longtime spokeswoman and race car driver Danica Patrick will be the tough-love fitness trainer Jillian Michaels of “The Biggest Loser” fame.

Go Daddy has built a reputation on making it fast and easy for customers to register their internet domain names, and the company claims it accounts for nearly 50 percent of all new domain names that are registered.