Hot spots
With Bluetooth gateways, numerous network applications that no other technology can perform become possible.
Rajiv Kumar, WIDCOMM

While IEEE 802.11a and b are appropriate for devices that need Ethernet speed, Bluetooth is ideal for the many millions of devices that are not designed for Ethernet and could never handle such data rates. In fact, Bluetooth complements the 802.11 standards by enabling personal devices to access specific applications that may reside on 802.11 devices. Several manufacturers, including Intersil and Mobilian, have designed products that incorporate both chipsets. This allows developers to extend their services to both 802.11b and Bluetooth devices.

The real magic of Bluetooth lies in the concept of a personal area network (PAN) and ad hoc connectivity. Through Bluetooth's Discovery Service, PAN devices are capable of spontaneously joining into a network as they approach each other. This occurs only while the devices are in close proximity; the devices leave the network as they are removed from proximity.

Building on Bluetooth's basic function of providing cable-free collaboration among personal devices, we've elevated the technology to the next level: providing flexible wireless Internet access. Bluetooth Network Access Points, such as WIDCOMM's BlueGate, provide secure gateways to the Internet, email, and corporate LANs. BlueGate creates local hot spots of high-speed wireless connectivity that link as many as seven Bluetooth-enabled devices to any standard broadband modem (DSL, cable, or ISDN) through an Ethernet interface.

Thanks to such Bluetooth gateway devices, numerous network applications that no other technology can perform become possible. One example is a three-in-one phone. On the road, it's a conventional digital mobile phone. At home, it's a cordless phone with a connection to a home access point, linked to a fixed-wire phone network. At work, it's an extension of the desktop PBX phone. Additional examples of applications include automated ticket purchase using a phone or PDA in close proximity to a ticket-issuing machine, automated hotel check-in, and automated point-of-sale transactions.

Bluetooth has a tremendous advantage over other wireless networking approaches, such as 802.11b and HomeRF, because it is much less expensive to implement. Upgrading personal devices with more costly technology doesn't make sense when a $5 incremental cost for adding Bluetooth capability can provide them with all the speed and data they can handle.

Market demand and acceptance of additional applications for Bluetooth networking are on the rise. The sheer number of Bluetooth-enabled devices, such as mobile phones, will drive the chip price down. The future of wireless networking belongs to linking personal devices, through the flexible inexpensive connectivity Bluetooth implementation brings.

Author information

Rajiv Kumar is CTO and co-founder of WIDCOMM.