News Ericsson ditches Bluetooth

So the inventors of everyone's favorite short range wirless connectivity technology have decided to bow out of the arena, according to this Register article:

Ericsson’s decision to pull the plug on its Bluetooth design and manufacturing activities do not sound a death knell for the short range wireless technology, but they do show that the standard has reached maturity – with no obviously viable next generation.

This means that innovators like Ericsson will turn to other technologies with greater market potential and Bluetooth, within a few years, will be confined to a few niches.

Ericsson spun off its Bluetooth group, Technology Licensing, which invented the technology, in 2000. It currently has 125 employees, 100 working in R&D and including the core of Ericsson's original Bluetooth development team. They are expected to be transferred to other parts of the company. Ericsson will still support Bluetooth chip customers such as Philips but will not develop new designs or seek new clients for the current one.

We should not overplay the negative impact of Ericsson backing away from Bluetooth. The standard is sufficiently mature that it can make its own fortunes without being too dependent on the support of even its most major backer. Just as Nokia’s ambivalence about the Wi-MAX standard it helped to create no longer has the negative effect that it would have done a year earlier, so Bluetooth has grown beyond its parent. But the move does show that the Swedish company has decided there is no future for the technology significant enough to justify the backing of a major player.

Full story here

What next then, if BT has reached the end of the line? What will replace it? Or does it need a replacement for that matter?

 

I don't think it's permiated into society enough to need a replacement. It may become a bigger standard over the next few years, or it may not. I think that will determine whether it needs a replacement or just kind of drifts away...

 

I really don't get that, it strikes me that there's a heck of a lot of potential in bluetooth. I've got a bluetooth mouse, I'm getting a bluetooth phone, and, I want a bluetooth printer, etc. Ok Ericsson isn't directly involved with final products but surely there's still moeny in it?!

 

I dunno, I am not that impressed with Bluetooth.

Granted I don't have anything like a Bluetooth mouse & stuff, I only have Bluetooth on my T610, and then I have used it on other phones aswell.
I bought a USB Bluetooth dongle for my PC a while back and while it's OK to use to transfer an image or two it's pretty much useless.

I also think the connectivity kind of sucks, it keeps losing connection and the range is too short to be really useful.

The only thing I can think of that I will miss it is for multi-player mini-golf sessions on Ericsson phones

 

I use bluetooth on a daily basis to send goatse to people's mobiles without them knowing.

Viva bluetooth!

*n

 

yeah there is that, very fun!

 

Step 1: send a blank contact called 'Hey '

Step 2: send a cutesy photo of a cat

Step 3: send a cutesy photo of SpongeBob or something

Step 4: send goatse

Step 5: laugh as you hear 'what the...Oh my god...ewwwwww' from the other end of the bus/train/whatever.

*n

 

I Take photos with my phone and dump them to my PDA regularly. Also, i can send SMS messages from my pda. Its a hell of a lot better than typing with a numeric keypad.

 

after reading that article on the crazy long range wifi, I think I can see where this is going.....

 

I knew Bluetooth was dead before it even came out. I just didnt see it taking off. It still not very common and new technologys like WUSB will replace it.

 

Yep.

IR is still the best of most phones tbh. I have never ever had any use for bluetooth. And can't see the mice beening any better

 

Microsoft's bluetooth keyboard has about a 50ft range. (The package says 30ft, but a friend and I tested. He had to stand by the monitor while I walked down the hall typing.)

most other wireless keyboards I've seen have a range of 6 or 7 feet. Maybe 10 feet with fresh batteries.

My sister uses her bluetooth mobile phone and her laptop for internet connectivity at school.

Wireless bluetooth headsets for mobile phones are great.

My point - bluetooth is cool if you need it.
That said, when WUSB comes out, I don't see how bluetooth could stick around; but for now - bluetooth fills its niche well.