Wireless printing from mobile phones is here

Users will be able to print e-mails, address book details and Web information from mobile phones by wirelessly connecting to a Bluetooth-enabled printer. The user must be within 10m of the printer to activate it.

Patrick Dirk, Troy's chairman and chief executive officer, said, "Cellular telephones are becoming more like mobile Internet appliances with capabilities that include e-mail, Web access and address books. We believe that printing will become a significant requirement as cell phone users add these new applications."

TI will provide its Bluetooth chip for the project, while Troy will offer the printing software. The product will be sold to handset suppliers but, as yet, no customers have been announced.

The product, which TI expects to be on offer next year, will be on display at the Comdex exhibition in Las Vegas in November.

Bluetooth's progress

May 1999: Special Interest Group gets Bluetooth 0.9 specification

Nov 1999: Ericsson reveals plans for a wireless headset

Dec 1999: Intel demonstrates radio module and software suite

Feb 2000: Connectivity planned for Palm PDA

Jun 2000: Ericsson plans Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone

Jun 2000: Intel and Microsoft collaborate on Windows support

Aug 2000: IBM begins work on applications for banks, supermarkets and airports

Oct 2000: First Bluetooth-enabled access server from Red-M