Bluetooth Shipments Double in Four Months

Bluetooth Shipments Double in Four Months

With Worldwide Demand for Bluetooth Products Soaring, the Bluetooth SIG Puts the Spotlight on User Experience By Announcing Four New Programs

BELLEVUE, Wash., Nov. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) today announced that the Bluetooth market has passed the impressive milestone of 9.5 million Bluetooth units shipping per week. In May, the shipment figures were 4.75 million per week according to IMS Research and in September -- only four months later -- this figure has doubled, exceeding even the most optimistic analyst projections. Serving as an advocate to the industry as well as the consumer, the Bluetooth SIG has designed a number of consumer programs in order to satisfy the needs of the booming market and further secure a first-class user experience of Bluetooth wireless technology.

"By doubling the Bluetooth shipments in just four months, Bluetooth technology has once again proved itself as the wireless technology for the personal area network," said Michael Foley, Ph.D., executive director of the Bluetooth SIG. "As the market is thriving, the Bluetooth SIG listens to the needs of the market, while aiming to improve the positive user experience. Our new consumer programs encourage similar implementations for different product categories and enhance the users' understanding of expected performance."

The intent of the new consumer programs is to recognize, manage and encourage people's expectations of their Bluetooth experience. All four programs are directed at the various ways consumers gather information and make buying decisions for Bluetooth enabled products.

* Experience icons is a ubiquitous cross-industry communications tool for
product manufacturers to communicate Bluetooth capabilities in
products, achieving more informed purchase decisions by consumers and
thus managing expectations. With the use of the experience icons in
conjunction with the Bluetooth trademark, consumers can easily identify
the capability of Bluetooth enabled products.

* http://www.bluetooth.com/ is the official website where the industry and
consumers alike can gather all relevant information about Bluetooth
wireless technology. By early next year, the Bluetooth SIG launches a
website aimed at facilitating education, and providing improved
navigation, structure, search and unique tools that will help consumers
understand the Bluetooth capabilities of various products.

* User Terminology is a document with common user terminology recommended
for manufacturing companies to use. The need for such a document has
sprung out of the thousands of products produced by various
manufacturers and the need to assure common terms and interfaces being
used between manufacturers on a worldwide basis. The user terminology
document is translated into 34 different languages and is intended to
be used in consumer audience materials by Bluetooth members.

* Best of Breed is a set of guidelines laid out for two types of
Bluetooth implementations in different product categories: Basic and
Best of Breed. In mobile phones, for instance, the Bluetooth SIG will
publish the profiles recommended for the most comprehensive user
experience in a Basic and a Best of Breed Mobile Phone. Products
meeting the Best of Breed implementation will be featured in various
areas of the redesigned http://www.bluetooth.com/ .

About Bluetooth Wireless Technology

Bluetooth(R) wireless technology is revolutionizing the personal connectivity market by providing freedom from wired connections. It is a globally available standard that wirelessly connects mobile phones, portable computers, cars, stereo headsets, MP3 players, and more. The technology is now available in its fourth version of the core specification and continues to develop, building on its inherent strengths -- small-form factor radio, low power, low cost, built-in security, robustness, ease-of-use, and ad hoc networking abilities. Bluetooth wireless technology is the leading and only proven short-range wireless technology on the market today.

About the Bluetooth SIG

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), comprised of leaders in the telecommunications, computing, and network industries, is driving development of Bluetooth wireless technology and bringing it to market. The Bluetooth SIG includes promoter group companies Agere, Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia and Toshiba, along with over 4000 Associate and Adopter member companies. The Bluetooth SIG, Inc. headquarters are located in Bellevue, Washington, U.S.A. For more information please visit http://www.bluetooth.com/ .

The Bluetooth word mark and logo are registered trademarks and are owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc.

Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click appropriate link. Dr. Michael Foley http://profnet.prnewswire.com/ud_public.jsp?userid=511276

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050307/DAM007LOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Bluetooth Special Interest Group

CONTACT: Americas, Starr Million of INK Public Relations,
+1-512-382-8981, or starr@ink-pr.com ; or Asia-Pacific, Briony Peters of Hill
& Knowlton Asia Ltd., +852-2894-6214, or
briony.peters@hillandknowlton.com.hk ; or Europe, Middle East, Africa, Danny
Devriendt of Porter Novelli, +32-475353465, or
danny.devriendt@porternovelli.be , all for Bluetooth Special Interest Group

Web site: http://www.bluetooth.com/

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