Bluetooth wireless technology is key, literally

12 April 2010, 4:33am

KIRKLAND, WA – April 12th, 2010 - Proximity and security - untapped Bluetooth technology potential Annually, more than a billion devices are shipped with Bluetooth technology. While mobile phones, headsets and game consoles still count for the lion share of the usage, Bluetooth wireless technology is quickly being adopted in stereo headsets, internet access, file transfer and wireless printing. Proximity and security applications are now being added to the rapidly growing list of Bluetooth scenarios.

Are you there?

Bluetooth proximity applications enable detection of devices in proximity to another device or location. This capability can be used for a variety of applications ranging from security applications (unlocking doors, logging on and off your computer) to “convenience applications” such as keeping track of keys or using a mobile phone to avoid losing an object or device. While global statistics on lost mobile phones are uncertain, estimates show that in average one mobile phone is lost or stolen every three minutes in the US alone.

Keep track of “things”

Innovative new Bluetooth applications promise to dramatically reduce the costs related to loss or ‘forget’ rates of small devices such as mobile phones and keys. “Imagine how much easier mornings would be if you never misplaced your keys again”, said Anders Edlund, EMEA marketing director for the Bluetooth SIG. Edlund continued, “ While lost keys are a hassle, a lost mobile phone can be a financial impact for both consumers and businesses. The cost of physically replacing a phone can be easily measured in hard dollars, but the lost productivity when simply forgetting a phone at home or the loss of data for a business can have significant soft cost.”

Products such as the SonyEricsson Watch MBW-200, which will buzz once you are out of range from the phone and devices such as the ZOMM today enable device tracking and proximity solutions. With the launch of Bluetooth low energy technology in 2010, it is anticipated that many more products will be coming to market, making life easier for consumers. With Bluetooth low energy technology the mobile phone will both be secured and will now also function as the key to enabling many other personal, proximity applications.

Security/door lock application

The idea of using the mobile phone to open doors and allow entry has existed for many years. In Scandinavia, this application is being used in thousands of homes for one very special application: home health care. Along with providing great savings for care givers and added security for the care takers, the application is also significantly reducing the environmental burden. The Phoniro system removes the need to store physical keys in a central location and instead uses the mobile phone a key. The in-home module is simply and unobtrusively added to the existing lock and, with a battery life of years, it can be almost forgotten. Similar applications are currently used in many other countries.

Automatically log on and off your computer.
Perhaps the most useful day to day usage is to make sure your computer logs off when you leave it unattended and then logs on automatically when you get near it again. This useful function is really easy to enable by simply downloading a piece of software to your Bluetooth enabled computer.

Bluetooth technology: X marks the spot

With Bluetooth wireless technology, proximity and security applications will quickly become mainstream. The high brand awareness and global availability of Bluetooth low energy technology, which positively impact the speed to market. Coin-cell powered devices are the natural choice for most security and proximity applications, and Bluetooth technology enables an optimal link to PC, laptop or mobile phone.

About Bluetooth® Wireless Technology

Bluetooth wireless technology is the global short-range wireless standard for personal connectivity of a broad range of electronic devices. The technology continues to evolve, building on its inherent strengths – small-form factor radio, low power, low cost, built-in security, robustness, ease-of-use, and ad hoc networking abilities. This evolution now provides manufacturers and consumers with three options for connecting wirelessly – Classic Bluetooth technology for use in a wide range of consumer electronics; Bluetooth high speed technology for the transfer of video, music and photos between phones, cameras, camcorders, PCs and TVs; and Bluetooth low energy technology for low power sensor devices and new web services within the healthcare, fitness, security, home entertainment, automotive and automation industries. More than eight new Bluetooth enabled products are qualified every working day and more than 19 million Bluetooth units are shipping per week. There are nearly three billion Bluetooth devices in the marketplace and that number climbs daily, making it the only proven wireless choice for developers, product manufacturers, and consumers worldwide.

About Bluetooth low energy Wireless Technology

Bluetooth low energy technology is a new low energy enhancement to the Bluetooth Core Specification that paves the way to a vast new market for watches, remote controls, and healthcare and sports sensors. It has the potential to communicate with the hundreds of millions of Bluetooth enabled mobile phones, PCs and PDAs that are shipped each year. Consuming minimal power, it offers long-lasting connectivity, dramatically extending the range of potential applications and opening the door to brand new web services. Bluetooth low energy features ultra-low peak, average and idle mode power consumption; ultra-low cost plus small size for accessories and human interface devices (HIDs); minimal cost and size addition to handsets and PCs; global, intuitive and secure multi-vendor interoperability.

The Bluetooth SIG

Geo: International