| The development of the Bluetooth wireless technology | |
| 1994 | Ericsson Mobile Communications AB starts to investigate a new low-power, low-cost radio interface between mobile phones and their accessories to eliminate the need for an increasing amount of cables surrounding electronic devices. |
| 1998 | Realizing that the world could do without another proprietary technology, a group was established in 1998 to manage the new communication technology. This became known as the Special Interest Group (SIG) of Bluetooth wireless technology. The intent was to create an open specification for a short-range radio technology for use in the mobile and business market segments. A nine-company Promoter group including 3Com Corporation, Ericsson, IBM Corporation, Intel Corporation, Lucent Technologies, Microsoft Corporation, Motorola, Inc., Nokia, and Toshiba Corporation leads the Bluetooth SIG. |
| 1999 | The first open Bluetooth specification 1.0 is released. Motorola, Microsoft, 3COM and Lucent Technologies join the original 5 founder companies in the Bluetooth SIG to make a total of 9 promoter companies. |
| 2000 | The first certified Bluetooth products on the market. Bluetooth SIG membership passes 2000. The development of next-generation technology and Bluetooth Specification 2.0 is well underway. Bluetooth wireless technology is now the fastest growing de facto communication standard ever. |
| 2001 | The latest protocol 1.1 is released. Cahners In-Stat predicts that there will be 955 million products sold incorporating the Bluetooth technology by the year 2005. The first Bluetooth mobile phones, headsets, PCMCIA and Compact Flash cards, USB adapters, Access Points and more become commercially available and the year is commonly viewed as the year of the break-through for the new technology. |
| For a more in-depth review of the Bluetooth wireless technology, please visit the Official Bluetooth Website |
