what is bluetooth technology

What is Bluetooth? Think of it as an eighteen-wheeler screaming down the pike, carrying the future of computing with it. The driver is friendly. You can stick out your thumb and hitch a ride, or be left in the dust. Bluetooth is a developing, world wide, open, short-range radio specification focused on communication between the Internet and Net devices, plus it defines communication protocols between devices and computers. To be Bluetooth certified, a device must pass interoperability testing by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), thus assuring that products meeting the specification will be able to interact with all other Bluetooth-certified products and with the Internet.

The five founding members of the Bluetooth SIG are Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Nokia and Toshiba. On December 1, 1999, the founding members announced that 3COM, Lucent, Microsoft, and Motorola have joined the founders to form the Promoter Group with the founding companies. To date, more than 1,200 companies have signed on.

Picture the spaghetti of wires connecting peripherals to a PC, and the PC to the Net, and then imagine them gone. Nice image, isn't it? The technology of Bluetooth centers around a 9mm x 9mm microchip, which functions as a low cost and short range radio link. It provides security for both stationary and mobile devices. The basic function is to provide a standard wireless technology to replace the multitude of propriety cables currently linking computing devices. Better than the image of the spaghetti-free computer system is the ability of the radio technology to network when away from traditional networking structures, such as a business intranet. Even better is the ability to network on an ad hoc basis. For example, imagine being on a business trip with a laptop and a phone. Bluetooth technology allows interfacing the two. Then, picture meeting a client and transferring files without cabling or worrying about protocols. That is what Bluetooth will do.

it must be admitted that not all pundits agree on whether Bluetooth technology is truly the wave of the future. Mark Riseley, an analyst at Inteco, has said, "People are not crying out for Bluetooth devices. They will inevitably be asking, "Do I want to switch on the lights using my mobile phone?" It seems a bit like taking a hammer to crack a nut and may not be considered worth the money."

Let's first look at the potential applications-a difficult task, considering the virtually infinite nature of them. So, we'll start with Riseley's point of view. He refers to applications like switching on lights with a mobile phone. Certainly, such applications are possible. However, that's a minor one. So many more have far greater practicallity. As this article mentioned earlier, the removal of the spaghetti of cords surrounding a PC is one that most non-technical (and technical) users can relate to. Of course, there are the esthetics of not having that junk around. Beyond that, though, there is more practical consideration for removing it: the danger associated with tripping or electrical shock from worn cables. When the typical user sees the advantages there-coupled with the likely low cost of Bluetooth devices-it seems likely that moving to products that provide the technology will seem like a good choice.

However, it is not the average user who leads the way in acceptance of new technologies; it is the business person on the go, the traveler, who demands products to stay in touch with the home office and home, and to make giving presentations easier. These are the people who jumped on cell phones and PDIs. The convenience of checking for e-mail while stuck in traffic is a strong motivator. The ease of linking with a printer or fax at the client's office, which Bluetooth can provide, must be irresistible. To be able to give a presentation with a laptop and not have to deal with cables and plugging in peripherals is a dream come true.

Then, there are the conveniences of gadgets able to do double duty. "Where did I leave the TV remote?" can become a question of the past when the cell phone that just happens to be in your coat pocket will do the channel switching just as well. Picture yourself in the car on the way to a client's office when you realize you've forgotten to bring a file that's on your home PC. Wouldn't it be wonderful not to have to turn around, go back home, get out of the car, boot up the PC, dig out a blank floppy disk, copy the file, and then head back out? Imagine dialing the Internet from your cell phone and downloading the file while you drive along.