Top > Webmaster > 2005 > July > 2005-07-14

Special cell phone sites to get special addresses

According to news reports, web surfers will soon be able to recognize Web sites specially designed for use by mobile phones by the new ".mobi" suffix, which will be introduced alongside the popular ".com" and other top-level domain names (like ".tv" or ".biz").

The new suffix was approved by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers at a Luxemburg meeting Monday. The first Web sites for mobile devices will be ready in 2006.

The new domain name was requested by a group of powerful mobile phone operators and handset makers like Ericsson, Microsoft, Nokia, Samsung, T-Mobile and Vodaphone, which set up a joint venture to encourage companies and Web site designers to create mobile Web pages.

As more and more Web pages are optimized for handheld devices, rather than desktop or laptop computers with big screens, these companies hope more consumers will upgrade their phones.

"Mobi" is short for mobile phones in the Netherlands, but it is a nickname that is used around the world. Belgians use "GSM," Germans "handy," French "portable" or "mobile", Israelis use "pelephone", Britons "mobile" and Americans "cell". Swedes have a "mobil" and Finns make calls with a "kannyka."