Bluetooth won't impact the enterprise until 2002

The much-hyped Bluetooth wireless connectivity technology will not make a significant impact on enterprise computing until 2002, according to a new report.

The Bluetooth 2000 Industry Survey Report, compiled from a poll conducted at the Bluetooth Congress and Expo in June, seems to indicate that the technology will not impact the enterprise until at least 2002, even though the first products could be in the shops by the end of this year.

Of those questioned, 76% believed that the Bluetooth-enabled products due in the shops by the second quarter of 2001 will mainly focus on the consumer market. Products that allow wireless connection to printers and scanners are not expected to arrive for at least another year after that.

Analyst Rita Sfeir of IDC said, "In terms of implementing a workable corporate solution, Bluetooth is still very much on the drawing board. There are interoperability issues that must be solved, before a widespread adoption of the technology.

"There is still a lot of excitement about Bluetooth, but I think that the Wap anticlimax has made people more wary. The interest is there, but I think that the business community wants to see tried and tested applications before committing itself."