Motorola Leads Mobile Revolution With First Bluetooth Enabled Products

Major PC customers include IBM and Toshiba; Hands-free kit for automotive market introduced 

Motorola (NYSE:MOT) opens the Bluetooth Congress here this week with a slate of new products and agreements to supply leading personal computer manufacturers with Bluetooth wireless technology. Both IBM and Toshiba intend to work with Motorola to offer Bluetooth functionality as a customer option across portions of their PC lines. Motorola also formally announced its Bluetooth-enabled car kit - bringing Bluetooth wireless technology into the automotive market.

"Motorola's vision is to give power to the person and let them take their world with them seamlessly in the workplace, auto, home and out and about," said Janice Webb, Motorola senior vice president and general manager of the Personal Networks Group. "Today we are making good on our promise to give power to the person by being one of the first companies to deliver a number of working, interoperable Bluetooth-enabled products. These smart products give access to the information sources that a person wants or needs, at any time or in any place."

By combining Bluetooth wireless technology with personal computers, cars, handheld devices and cellular phones, Motorola and its customers are ushering in a new era of short-range networking solutions.

"As one of the founding members of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, IBM realizes the powerful capability of Bluetooth wireless technology to enhance the usability of mobile products by simplifying the way devices connect and communicate," said Fran O'Sullivan, vice-president of mobile computing development for IBM's Personal Systems Group. "We are excited to be working with Motorola to offer Bluetooth solutions to customers."

Bluetooth Car Kits

Initially, Motorola's Bluetooth-enabled car kit consists of an integrated module, which offers cordless handset operation with the ability to seamlessly "hand-off" calls from the hands-free environment in the car to the handset outside the car. In addition, Bluetooth wireless technology is projected to deliver the capability to interact with vehicle functions such as door unlock and on-board vehicle diagnostics systems. Future capability incorporates synchronization with handheld devices, vehicle navigation and multi-media systems.

"This new Bluetooth capability only adds to Motorola's already strong Telematics offering," said Marios Zenios, corporate vice president and general manager, Motorola Telematics Communications Group. "We're excited about the enhanced technology and our customers are excited about it. And we're only scratching the surface of what Bluetooth can be in the car - there's much more in store."

The Motorola Bluetooth-enabled car kit is now available to automotive manufacturers for inclusion in their vehicle platforms. Already, Motorola has demonstrated the Bluetooth automotive functionality to many of the major global automotive companies. Motorola expects to announce specific automotive Bluetooth contracts later this year.

Product Pipeline

The first Bluetooth products Motorola is making available are a PCMCIA Card and a USB accessory, both add-ons that are designed to provide a link for fast and consistent exchange of information, including data, voice, audio and even video. For example, a PC and a Bluetooth-enabled handheld computer could wirelessly exchange files and synchronize data. Bluetooth wireless technology is predicted to take its first steps as basic cable replacement, but may quickly evolve into more sophisticated applications such as peer-to-peer networking and personal area networking.

Motorola is utilizing its technological expertise to drive additional Bluetooth developments, including a move toward a more integrated solution for its customers. Motorola will work with its Digianswer subsidiary to supply a first generation embedded solution for use inside PCs and peripheral devices such as printers and data access points. Smaller, lower power modules are expected to be available later this year and in early 2001.

Bluetooth-enabled chips are also included in Motorola's plans, with a transmit / receive chip and a microprocessor slated for introduction later this year as part of Motorola's DigitalDNA(TM) portfolio. The roadmap includes plans to integrate the Bluetooth- enabled processor onto processors found inside of handheld computers and wireless phones, resulting in a one-chip solution comprised of the transmit /receive device.

A Bluetooth clip-on accessory for certain Motorola wireless phones is expected to be rolled out later this year. Plans to embed Bluetooth functionality inside some Motorola phones are expected to be implemented in the near future. Bluetooth equipped wireless audio accessories for use with two-way radios for commercial, government and industrial applications are also expected to be available by the end of this year.


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