The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) today announced its intent to work closely with other wireless technologies in order to identify synergies. Combining technology, functionality or user interface of the respective technologies will improve the overall wireless user experience. In the wireless marketplace, developers have shifted their focus from concentrating on one wireless technology per product to exploring ways to create combined wireless solutions.

The Bluetooth SIG is made up of over 4000 member companies, many of which are involved in the development of multiple wireless technologies. The Bluetooth SIG believes cooperation is the best and fastest way to improve wireless solutions and has taken the lead by working to bring all technologies under one wireless umbrella. Standards are inherently about cooperation, not competition, for the betterment of the wireless industry and the overall user experience.

"Identifying synergies between wireless technologies and leveraging the experience and know-how of mature technologies will lead to better wireless solutions, faster. Three new Bluetooth enabled products are being qualified every day making it the most proven wireless technology for the personal area network on the market," said Michael Foley, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Bluetooth SIG. "Consumers demand an easy-to-use wireless experience, regardless of technology. With so many organizations developing wireless technologies, we need to put the focus on the consumer and work together to enhance their overall wireless experience."

The Bluetooth SIG works with the following wireless technologies:

Wi-Fi® is a wireless technology optimized for WLAN scenarios connecting computers, phones, and consumer electronics to the internet at speeds exceeding 50 Mbps when in range of an access point. Wi-Fi technology now ships in 90% of notebook computers and is increasingly found in mobile phones, digital cameras, and a variety of other devices. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless technologies have been implemented side-by-side in devices for several years, and have also been working to improve co-existence between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled devices. The technologies utilize the same frequency band and therefore Bluetooth technology was optimized with a feature called Adaptive Frequency Hopping (AFH) to eliminate interference. Potential scenarios for collaboration between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology would include home gateways and media centers that would include both technologies. Additionally, with both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technologies going into small devices like mobile phones, it is important to work together to identify ways the technologies can optimize space and power consumption.

"Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless technologies are already working side-by-side in applications across the globe. We see this as a trend that will only increase and acknowledge the potential in the future for the technologies to work not just concurrently but jointly to achieve more advanced wireless applications," said Frank Hanzlik, Managing Director of the Wi-Fi Alliance.