Trademark holders, heads up. Another top level domain (TLD) is getting closer to launch and your mark could be at risk – or in the sweet spot in what's been dubbed the phone book for the mobile Web.

From December 3, 2008 until February 2, 2009, trademark owners can register .tel domains for their brands and company names, providing them with a "live" comprehensive listing in the first global, mobile-optimized online directory, according to Telnic, the main registry operator of the new .tel TLD.

Why such buzz about the .tel domain? Supporters say it's a lightweight and easy to manage domain and think it just might become the Google of the mobile world. We'll find out how popular it could be on Feb. 3, when the landgrab period will be ushered in for anyone who wants to apply for a .tel domain on a first come, first served basis. Until then, trademark owners have a two month window to register their trademarks.

The .tel addresses are stored at the DNS (Domain Name Server), which is encrypted. What it does, explained Justin Hayward, communications director for Telnic, is provide a communications hub for centralizing and publicizing contact, location and marketing information.

"You've got a service out of the box" once you've registered your .tel domain, he said. You don't need to pay for hosting a Web site as you would with a .com domain, or hire a Webmaster or deal with server management in any way with a .tel address. That's because the address is stored at the DNS (define) level, with encryption features tossed in.

Other TLDs, such as .com addresses, need a Web server on top of the DNS server as a way to translate domain names from IP addresses. With a .tel address, Hayward added, you don't need to incur these extra costs. You can use the address to list key contact information, as well as provide only information you would like specific users to see, such as directions to your hotel, or your position for GPS devices.

"You've got SEO [search engine optimization] built in, and it's all machine-readable," Hayward told InternetNews.com. Plus, you can add structured data and tags to the domains so that search engines for mobile devices can categorize your site's information much better. If you need to publish a crisis number quickly, for example, the .tel page is easy to enable.

David Steinberg, marketing director of Dotster, one of the 120-plus registrars certified by Telnic to register domains, is excited about the possibilities with the growth of the mobile Web.

LATEST NEWS

New Calls for Global Web Censorship Probe
Murdoch Balks at Twitter Buy, MySpace Sale
Breaches Hit 70% of UK Enterprises, Study Finds
Senate Nears Vote on Rethinking U.S. Spectrum
Why IE Doesn't Support HTML 5 Video (Yet)

"It's managed at the DNS level, and it becomes your one-stop shop for contact information that can follow you wherever you go, whether you have access to a mobile browser or not," he said. "If you've got a .tel address, mobile users can find you. It allows all your contact information to be kept in one place."

For a business user, he added, this means you can keep all your contact information for retail in one place, or list all sales reps perhaps by using sub-domains. "If your customers are only on a mobile device, they can find you and call your number right away."

Developers are fast developing a suite of applications for the .tel domain that look and act much like a broadband feature, with iPhone and Outlook integration as if you're on a broadband device.

Not every registrar is getting involved in the .tel registrations, such as GoDaddy, but the registrar is also watching to see what demand looks like.

"GoDaddy's main focus is providing our customers with what they find valuable. Go Daddy does not currently have plans to offer .tel, but we will continue to evaluate the extension, the value and opportunities it may provide to us and our customers," said Warren Adelman, GoDaddy's president and COO.

Dotster's Steinberg agreed that the lack of hosting needs could help build appeal. "There's no hosting, and no HTML" necessary, he added. "Don't get me wrong, we'd love to sell people a hosting plan," he said. But overall, "we think this will become an important part in the growth of the mobile Web."