Though it won’t be a mainstream feature until 2011, the developments surrounding IPTV and the Yellow Pages are exciting. During the Drilling Down on Local conference last March, attendees were already given a sneak peek into Yellowpages.com’s IPTV Internet Yellow Pages channel

IPTV (or Internet Protocol Television) is a system wherein a digital television service is delivered by using Internet Protocol over a network infrastructure, which may include delivery by a broadband connection. Instead of using traditional broadcast and cable formats, television content is received by the viewer through the technologies used for computer networks.

IPTV and the Yellow Pages make sense since they are both measurable media.

For the consumer, it’s all about added convenience. Imagine ordering a pizza from the comfort of your living room right on the screen of your TV while watching a ball game? For the advertiser, it’s all about lead generation and sales. The marriage of IPTV with the Yellow Pages database provides an excellent ROI model for advertisers.

The ball has already began rolling. Last Sept. 22, RefreshClassifieds.com reported that White Directory Publishers has partnered with BIAP to become the exclusive sales force for Yellowpages TV listings. (BIAP is one of the leading technology companies in the the new interactive TV listings marketing and has created the Yellowpages TV listing services for TV set-top boxes.)

The new partnership will allow BIAP access to advertisers from White Directory Publishers, Talking Directory product, the third largest directory publisher in the US. The partnership covers 28 key markets across the United States.

The Yellowpages TV technology leverages the Interactive TV capabilities available in many set-top boxes available across the US that have been relatively unused, the RefreshClassifieds.com article stated.

The Interactive TV capability allows consumers the ability to search web sites, or in this case business listings, with just their TV remote control.  It’s not clear how easy this functionality will be use to but it does create an interesting partnership in the business directory market.