Within a few years about 80 percent of the mobile phones are expected to carry the Bluetooth chip. The Bluetooth transceiver operates in the globally available unlicensed ISM radio band of 2.4GHz. The ISM bands include frequency range at 902MHz to 928MHz and 2.4GHz to 2.484GHZ which do not require operator license from a regulatory agency. This means that Bluetooth technology can be used virtually anywhere in the world. Another type of wireless technology that is being used nowadays is infrared signals. The choice of using either one of the wireless technology will depend on the application for which it is being used. Bluetooth is an economical, wireless solution that is convenient, reliable, easy to use and operates over a longer distance than infrared. The initial development started in 1994 by Ericsson. Bluetooth now has a special interest group (SIG) which has 1800 companies worldwide. Bluetooth technology enables voice and data transmission in a short-range radio.

There is a wide range of devises which can be connected easily and quickly without the need for cables. Soon people world over will enjoy the convenience, speed and security of instant wireless connection. Bluetooth is expected to be embedded in hundreds of millions mobile phones, PCs, laptops and a whole range of other electronic devices in the next few years. This is mainly because of the elimination of cables and this makes the work environment look and feel comfortable and inviting.

Presentations

Setting up power point presentations, for example, would no longer require a spaghetti- like tangle of cables between projectors, laptop and printer. You would simply place the laptop near the projector, turn them on, and wait a few moments for them to communicate the necessary operating parameters.

Synchronizing Data

Automatic synchronization can be a real time saver. When you're finished adding information to your palmtop at home, all you have to do is walk by your cubicle at work to get the files uploaded to the desktop PC. When you leave the office, any new files added to your desktop PC are automatically copied to your palmtop. With synchronization there's no longer any confusion about which file is on which machine.

Mobile e-commerce

Bluetooth wireless technology will play a key role in the electronic commerce. Soon you'll be able to avoid the line at retail stores to pay for items, or access the Internet anywhere via your mobile phone to order and pay for goods and services. Ericsson and Visa International are among the companies developing payment solutions for the purchase of goods and services over the Internet through mobile devices, including cell phones and palmtops.

Travel

If you happen to be a frequent flyer, the Bluetooth specifications offer some advantages for obtaining tickets. You can arrive at the airport and buy a ticket simply by walking past a wireless terminal, which informs your identity, issues an electronic ticket, and bills your credit card. A flight attendant would no longer have to visit passengers and ask them to turn off their electronic devices. After the request is broadcast, the airplane's master Bluetooth device would shut down all electronic devices automatically for takeoff and landing.