The Bluetooth Developers conference last week heard warnings that
interoperability and cost issues are looming as device makers begin
to deploy products featuring the technology.
Bluetooth is designed for wireless data transmission at the
relatively low speed of 768kbps over a short distance (10m or
less). It is intended primarily for personal area networks that
wirelessly link devices that a user carries or keeps on their
desk.
Suppliers have touted Bluetooth for applications ranging from
synchronising a personal digital assistant with a PC to controlling
home appliances by remote control. But to date it has been used
mostly in mobile phones and wireless headsets.
Bluetooth's low cost, acknowledged as a big factor in getting
people to buy, will be driven down further by new products unveiled
at the show. The only concern is that, as suppliers try to expand
the applications of Bluetooth, it may prove hard to ensure that all
enabled devices can really work with each other. This may turn off
users just as consumer Bluetooth products become widely available
over the next year or so.
After what may amount to a beta test by early adopters, the
technology will finally become viable for most consumers about two
years from now, said Ken Dulaney, n analyst at Gartner.
By contrast, IEEE 802.11b wireless Lans have had a smoother road
because of rigorous certification by the Wireless Ethernet
Compatibility Alliance.
Suppliers are looking to less expensive components to eventually
drive consumer interest in Bluetooth.
At the show, Ericsson Technology Licensing demonstrated evaluation
boards with samples of its fourth-generation Bluetooth radio - a
highly integrated component with a design that reduces by half the
number of components needed to build a Bluetooth system.
The critical point in cost reduction is a $5 (£3.50) chip set.
Philips Semiconductors expects to see chip sets at $5 in 2003, down
from a price of about $10 today, said
Gerhard Heider, general manager of Philips Semiconductors'
connectivity product line.