| Bluetooth is an alliance between mobile communications and mobile computing companies to develop a short-range communications standard allowing wireless data communications at ranges of about 10 meters. | |
| Bluetooth will encompass both a standard communications interface and a low-cost computer chip. It is a cross between the DECT (Digital European Cordless Telephone) and iRDA (infra Red Data Association) technologies. Bluetooth was conceived by Ericsson, but founded by Nokia, Ericsson, IBM, Intel and Toshiba. The Bluetooth Interest Group has since been joined by hundreds of companies including One2One; a UK mobile network operator, Motorola, Qualcomm, Compaq, Dell, 3Com Palm, VLSI, Xircom, Psion Dacom and Lucent. Bluetooth does NOT involve mobile network transactions- its spectrum is freely available to use in the unlicensed spectrum area (at 2.45 gigahertz). Data transmission speeds using Bluetooth are expected to be between 720 kbps and one megabit per second (Mbps). | |
Bluetooth will facilitate wireless Local Area Networks in which networks of different handheld computing terminals and mobile terminals can communicate and exchange data, even on the move and when there is no line-of-sight between those terminals. Bluetooth will mean that if users have several (Bluetooth-enabled) portable terminals, they can nonetheless use them with all the advantages of an integrated smart phone, without having to re-enter data or find the most recent versions on different terminals. This kind of synchronization and exchange of data are Bluetooth’s major applications, as are electronic commerce applications such as electronically paying for parking meters, bus tickets, shopping, movies and so on. Smart offices are envisaged in which an employee with a Bluetooth device is automatically checked in when entering the building and this triggers a series of actions such as lights and PCs being switched on. The Bluetooth partners see one of its main advantages as being that it does not need to be set up- Bluetooth runs in the background and line of sight is not even needed for the machines to automatically initiate and trigger processes. Such proactive intelligence could turn out to be a nuisance rather than a convenience for Bluetooth users unless it is under the control of the device owner(s). Indeed, the Bluetooth standard does incorporate these kinds of control mechanisms, since each device is assigned a unique 12 byte address and to connect to that device, its address must be known. There will also be an enquiry feature so to search for other Bluetooth-enabled devices within range. The Bluetooth specification was outlined in early 1999, with Bluetooth-enabled mobile terminals such as laptops, smart phones, handheld computers and so on likely to be first available by the industry conference "Telecom 99" in Geneva, Switzerland. Commercial Bluetooth terminals are expected to be available in the year 2000. In one negative prediction for Bluetooth, the September 1998 issue of "Wired" magazine listed Bluetooth at position one in its "Hype List" which aims at "Deflating this month’s overblown memes". It commented that "This wireless LAN technology overcomes infrared’s line-of-sight limitations, but Bluetooth’s true application, much less its market potential, won’t emerge until there’s a critical mass of RF-chip PCs, handhelds, and phones. And even then, people looking to move data between gadgets might find it hard to sever their emotional connection to the entrenched wireline option." Bluetooth was given a life expectancy of 24 months. Whilst it is true to say that other similar ideas to network electronic terminals and household appliances have come and gone in the past, such as Novel NetWare, Bluetooth does have the backing of a lot of market leading mobile phone and modem manufacturers. Others have failed because they have not been able to achieve a critical mass of wired appliances when licensing their technology. | |
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