Has the wireless technology reached critical mass? The Bluetooth SIG thinks so, as shipments break the million mark.
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), the trade association responsible for Bluetooth wireless technology, has announced that the short-range wireless technology has made its way into a record number of consumer products. For the first time ever, total Bluetooth product shipments worldwide exceeded one million units per week, in 3rd quarter 2003.
This news may come as a surprise to some as the general consumer audience is still largely unaware of the technology, but that is expected to change even as soon as this holiday season. Bluetooth wireless technology has been quietly making progress over the past year and can now be found in an array of consumer products, from mobile phones and headsets to PDAs, PCs, MP3 players and automobiles.
The SIG claim that this is a major milestone in the lifecycle of this now mature technology. The group point to the achievement of significant volume and diversity of deployment of Bluetooth in just six years as evidence of its success.
Aside from the very compelling idea to easily connect electronic devices, the SIG attribute this progress to the association’s strategic focus on improving the end-user experience. The foundation of this strategy - the Five Minute Ready program - was launched last December as a challenge to the multiple industries developing Bluetooth products to ensure consumers achieve a five-minute or less out-of-the-box experience.
It appears that many product manufacturers took the Five Minute Ready challenge to heart. Major announcements from manufacturers launching new consumer products with Bluetooth have hit an all-time high in the past few months: Bluetooth technology is now an option in the IBM ThinkPad series, Toshiba Portégé, Dell Latitude D800, Sony Vaio, and other PCs, and comes standard in Apple’s G4 PowerBooks.
Auto manufacturers American Honda Motor Company (Accura division), Audi, DaimlerChrylser Corporation, Ford Motor Company (Lincoln division), and Toyota Motor Corporation (Lexus division and in the new Prius) all recently announced plans of Bluetooth connectivity in the automobile, joining the ranks of General Motors Corporation, BMW and many others which have already shipped cars with Bluetooth technology, giving drivers a true hands-free calling experience.
Apple and Logitech have also brought personal computer peripheral products to market, announcing new wireless keyboards and mice, while the gaming industry now has the Nokia N-Gage, which hit shelves October 7, and Tapwave’s Zodiac gaming device will be available in early November.
Of course, handheld manufacturers were early adopters of the wireless technology, with a significant portion of available Pocket PC and Palm OS handhelds shipping with Bluetooth either included or available as an expansion option.
New market segments continue to open up for Bluetooth wireless technology applications as well. The adoption of the Audio/Visual profile and other important application profiles earlier this year are already showing up in products like wireless stereophonic headsets and are expected to result in new products on the market in coming months that include new applications for Bluetooth wireless technology.
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