Installed base of more than one billion products gives consumers more than
five billion ways to use the global wireless standard
BELLEVUE, Wash., Nov. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Bluetooth enabled products are
now in the hands of one billion consumers worldwide said the Bluetooth
Special Interest Group (SIG) today. Citing shipment information from ABI
Research, the trade association announced that the installed base of
Bluetooth devices reached one billion in early November. Weekly shipments
of the wireless devices continue at a pace of 12 million per week.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061114/NYTU138 )
"To put this number in perspective, one billion is greater than the
number of PC users in the world and equal to the number of mobile phones
shipped this year," said Michael Foley, Ph.D., executive director,
Bluetooth SIG. "Reaching the one billion milestone is a huge win for the
Bluetooth industry and we want to congratulate and thank our 6,000 member
companies whose innovation and products got us here. These are the same
companies, along with new members, that will drive us towards our next goal
of shipping two billion devices IN ONE YEAR in 2010. Exciting things are
shaping up for Bluetooth wireless technology and with the advent of several
new uses of the technology in 2007 in the home entertainment, medical and
gaming arenas, I feel confident that Bluetooth technology will continue to
surpass expectations."
Cellular handsets continue to dominate shipment numbers, along with
audio headsets. Stereo headsets, vehicles, media players, notebooks/PCs,
and mice/keyboard devices also contribute to shipment numbers. Medical
devices, gaming devices, camcorders, projectors and digital cameras are
expected to grow in volume after the introduction of the high-speed
Bluetooth specification in 2007.
"One change in the marketplace we see really driving adoption of
Bluetooth stereo headsets and contributing to that next billion devices is
the growth of mobile TV," said Yoram Solomon, director of strategic
marketing and industry relations, Texas Instruments, and president of the
Mobile DTV Alliance. "It's pretty simple -- people want good quality sound
when watching TV and the speaker built into mobile phones isn't going to
cut it. Bluetooth stereo headsets provide the key quality component to the
mobile TV experience."
"The Bluetooth market has grown dramatically in 2006," said Stuart
Carlaw, ABI Research. "Despite projections of a slight downturn in the
cellular handset market this quarter, Bluetooth shipments will continue to
grow at a strong pace with increased demand for the feature in mobile
phones, headsets, stereo audio headphones and automobiles, among others.
Also, the roadmap set in place by the Bluetooth SIG will enable new, higher
bandwidth applications that will fuel the accelerated growth pattern for
Bluetooth technology."
About Bluetooth(R) Wireless Technology
Bluetooth wireless technology is the global short-range wireless
standard for personal connectivity of a broad range of electronic devices.
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. More than five
new Bluetooth enabled products are qualified every working day and 12
million Bluetooth units are shipping per week. The installed base of
Bluetooth devices is one billion and climbing, making it the only proven
choice for developers, product manufacturers, and consumers worldwide.
About the Bluetooth SIG
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), comprised of leaders in the
telecommunications, computing, consumer electronics, automotive and network
industries, is driving development of Bluetooth wireless technology and
bringing it to market. The Bluetooth SIG includes Promoter group companies
Agere, Ericsson, Intel, Lenovo, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia and Toshiba,
along with over 6000 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.
Press Contacts:
Americas
Starr Million
INK Public Relations for the Bluetooth SIG
+1 (512) 382-8981
starr@ink-pr.com
Asia-Pacific
Eddie Chan
Hill & Knowlton Asia Ltd. for the Bluetooth SIG
+852 2894-6214
eddie.chan@hillandknowlton.com.hk
Europe, Middle East, Africa
Danny Devriendt
Porter Novelli for the Bluetooth SIG
+32 475353465
danny.devriendt@porternovelli.be
Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click
appropriate link.
Dr. Michael Foley
http://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=31627
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