Bluetooth Technology and Implications- Page 1/3
December 14, 1999
By
Heidi Monson
What is Bluetooth? Think of it as an eighteen-wheeler screaming down the pike, carrying the future of computing with it. The driver is friendly. You can stick out your thumb and hitch a ride, or be left in the dust. Bluetooth is a developing, world wide, open, short-range radio specification focused on communication between the Internet and Net devices, plus it defines communication protocols between devices and computers. To be Bluetooth certified, a device must pass interoperability testing by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), thus assuring that products meeting the specification will be able to interact with all other Bluetooth-certified products and with the Internet.
The five founding members of the Bluetooth SIG are Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Nokia and Toshiba. On December 1, 1999, the founding members announced that 3COM, Lucent, Microsoft, and Motorola have joined the founders to form the Promoter Group with the founding companies. To date, more than 1,200 companies have signed on.
Picture the spaghetti of wires connecting peripherals to a PC, and the PC to the Net, and then imagine them gone. Nice image, isn't it? The technology of Bluetooth centers around a 9mm x 9mm microchip, which functions as a low cost and short range radio link. It provides security for both stationary and mobile devices. The basic function is to provide a standard wireless technology to replace the multitude of propriety cables currently linking computing devices. Better than the image of the spaghetti-free computer system is the ability of the radio technology to network when away from traditional networking structures, such as a business intranet. Even better is the ability to network on an ad hoc basis. For example, imagine being on a business trip with a laptop and a phone. Bluetooth technology allows interfacing the two. Then, picture meeting a client and transferring files without cabling or worrying about protocols. That is what Bluetooth will do.
The name game: whose teeth are blue?
After exhaustive research (and more importantly, a friend who just happened on the information), the etymology of the name Bluetooth can be reported here. It comes from a tenth century Scandinavian king, Harald Bluetooth, who managed to unite several unruly kingdoms. Thus, Bluetooth is a reference to the taming of a myriad of unruly competing standards by defining one world-wide specification.
Overview of Bluetooth characteristics
These are the features of the Bluetooth technology:
It separates the frequency band into hops. This spread spectrum is used to hop from one channel to another, which adds a strong layer of security.
Up to eight devices can be networked in a piconet.
Signals can be transmitted through walls and briefcases, thus eliminating the need for line-of-sight.
Devices do not need to be pointed at each other, as signals are omni-directional.
Both synchronous and asynchronous applications are supported, making it easy to implement on a variety of devices and for a variety of services, such as voice and Internet.
Governments worldwide regulate it, so it is possible to utilize the same standard wherever one travels.
Images
Picture the spaghetti of wires connecting peripherals to a PC, and the PC to the Net, and then imagine them gone. Nice image, isn't it? The technology of Bluetooth centers around a 9mm x 9mm microchip, which functions as a low cost and short range radio link. It provides security for both stationary and mobile devices. The basic function is to provide a standard wireless technology to replace the multitude of propriety cables currently linking computing devices. Better than the image of the spaghetti-free computer system is the ability of the radio technology to network when away from traditional networking structures, such as a business intranet. Even better is the ability to network on an ad hoc basis. For example, imagine being on a business trip with a laptop and a phone. Bluetooth technology allows interfacing the two. Then, picture meeting a client and transferring files without cabling or worrying about protocols. That is what Bluetooth will do.
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