Apple scoops up iCloud.com domain for $4.5m ahead of new cloud-based service launch?

According to GigaOM, Apple has scooped up the domain name www.iCloud.com from Xcerion, the maker of a cloud-based service. The deal is said to have gone down for somewhere in the range of $4.5m, and we don’t think Apple would pay that much for a domain name unless they would put it to good use. We think iCloud is a potential name for Apple’s upcoming locker service which should keep your music, photos, videos, and other media in the cloud. This service will likely tie directly into MobileMe and may even replace MobileMe’s long existing iDisk feature.

iCloud.com still points to the old owner’s website and a quick Whois search of the domain still pulls up the information for Xcerion. Apple will likely introduce their new cloud services at WWDC, and if GigaOM‘s report is legitimate, this might just be one of the best pieces of evidence for Apple’s upcoming cloud services yet. Apple’s cloud services will likely include a new music locker and possibly some new cloud features for iOS users. Apple recently stopped selling retail packages and discounted copies of MobileMe.

Update: iCloud changed their company name to CloudMe. Looks like Apple went after the iXXXX. Here’s the email we got last week (“chosen a new name” – ha!):

In order to better reflect the expanded offerings of our service, we have chosen the new name, CloudMe – Your files online with anywhere access. Our Web Desktop is just one of many ways to use CloudMe’s service. We have developed an entire suite of apps and services that allow you to go mobile and access CloudMe on the go.