Companies developing Bluetooth this week released their first specification for future product development. Bluetooth is a wireless technology that provides high-speed connections between mobile computers, telephones and other networked devices.
The completed specification paves the way for manufacturers to complete the design of their Bluetooth products and prepare them for interoperability tests. The first devices to support the technology are expected to come to market next year.
Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Nokia and Toshiba developed the wireless technology and launched the Bluetooth Special Interest Group in May 1998. Currently, the group has a membership of about 800 companies worldwide.
In theory, the technology will support voice, video and data transmission up to 1M bit/sec, although real-world connection speeds are likely to be closer to 725K bit/sec, an IBM spokesman acknowledges. Bluetooth works at distances of up to about 30 feet, or 10 meters, and is designed primarily for use in the home and remote offices.
Besides offering wireless connectivity between mobile phones, computers, headsets and other devices, Bluetooth is also expected to provide wireless Internet access via a local area network. The technology can also be used for synchronizing data between computing devices, say officials involved in the effort.
Market research firm Dataquest has predicted that by 2002, 79% of digital handsets and more than 200 million PCs will incorporate the technology.
The Bluetooth 1.0 specification consists of two documents: the foundation core, which provides design specifications; and the foundation profile, which provides interoperability guidelines.
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