BLUETOOTH

Even though the age of wireless communications is upon us, many of us still deal with a plethora of cables that snake along and behind our desktop computers. Cables connect our printers, scanners, keyboards, digital cameras and any other peripherals that enhance our computing experience. If you have Bluetooth technology integrated within your devices then wait no more.Bluetooth technology enables computers, phones, handhelds, and peripherals to communicate with one another without cables.
Bluetooth technology is not meant to replace wireless networks but to complement it. Bluetooth enabled devices give the user more flexibility, security, reduced power consumption, and becoming affordable for everyone Bluetooth is the name for a short-range radio frequency (RF) technology that operates at 2.4 GHz and is capable of transmitting voice and data. The effective range of Bluetooth devices are 32 feet (10 meters). Bluetooth transfers data at the rate of 1 Mbps, which is from three to eight times the average speed of parallel and serial ports, respectively.

History of Bluetooth

In an attempt to eliminate wire clutter in homes and offices, the Swedish company Ericcson initiated the Bluetooth Technology movement in 1994 (CNN.com). In February 1998, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) was founded by five major companies determined to further develop Bluetooth technology and promote its widespread commercial acceptance. The founding companies were IBM, Intel, Nokia, Toshiba and Ericsson. Within six months SIG went global and invited other companies to join. In return for free access to Bluetooth, these companies pledged to support the specification of the new technology. With dollar signs gleaming in their eyes, thousands of companies quickly jumped on the bandwagon. In December 1999 the following four major companies joined the SIG as promoters:
Microsoft, Agere Systems (then Lucent), 3Com and Motorola. In no time flat the promoter companies added almost 2,000 Bluetooth \\\"adopters\\\" to their ranks and the number continues to grow.Bluetooth Now The use of Bluetooth technology goes far beyond mobile phones, computers, and laptops. Bluetooth has brought increased efficiency to hundreds of fields from the sales to shipping and handling.
In fact, Bluetooth has even brought convenience and efficiency to homes by making everyday tasks simpler through automation.The Future of Bluetooth The future success of Bluetooth remains to be seen, yet there are strong indicators that the technology will continue to grow. A massive number of Bluetooth enabled products are available now and hundreds of new products are poised to hit the market soon.
That there [were] about 80 million Bluetooth products shipped [in 2003]. About 55 million of those were in cellular handsets. About 300 million Bluetooth-enabled devices will ship [in 2004], about two-thirds will be mobile handsets\\\" .Manufacturers are constantly coming up with new ways to implement Bluetooth in various industries, including auto, medicine, restaurants, hotels, home appliances, and more. It is clear that the possibilities for Bluetooth stretch far into the horizon.
The fact that thousands of companies have invested considerable sums of money in Bluetooth also indicates that the technology will be promoted for quite some time to come. . SIG is determined not to let Bluetooth technology become obsolete in light of newer technology. On May 4, 2005, SIG announced its intent to work with the developers of ultra-wide band (UWB) in order to combine strengths of both technologies By partnering with UWB, SIG has ensured that Bluetooth will be able to compete with new technology. With a sound plan for the future, little competition, and consumers chomping at the bit for more, it appears that Bluetooth technology is here to stay.Merits The merit that clearly stands out is the ability of the technology to take us into the wireless world with point-to-multi-point connectivity to any device or into any existing application and is not limited to line of sight