At least 30% of laptops are being sold with Bluetooth capabilities, with this figure expected to rise dramatically over the next four years as the technology improves and becomes cheaper.
This is according to Christopher Riley, CEO of The Notebook Company (www.notebook.co.za), the Pretoria-based notebook and accessories retailer.
"Thirty percent of the laptops we sell are sold with Bluetooth. Within four years I think the bulk of the laptops sold will be with Bluetooth. One of the reasons for this is the fact that the technology is being ironed out. Until recently industry pundits and users were still complaining about slow connection speeds, plodding data transfers and a limited selection of functional WAP sites. But this mood is changing. Bluetooth protagonists steadfastly believe it will play a very important role in facilitating mobility in the mobile m-commerce world. Judging by our experience - with more and more laptop users wanting Bluetooth - it looks like they are going to be right.
"Bluetooth," said Riley, "potentially allow users to communicate in a totally wireless environment. If Bluetooth lives up to its promises, all devices currently connected by data cable will be able to communicate wirelessly within a few years."
But whatever viewpoint you currently take, Bluetooth is certainly the latest industry buzzword, and follows hot on the heels of WAP, or Wireless Application Protocol. WAP refers to the standard global method for the transfer of information between the Internet and mobile devices.
With this increasing demand to work on the move, developers are going to work very hard to come up with better solutions. Wireless technology, said Riley, will definitely play an important role in facilitating this required mobility.
Bluetooth fans say their technology will be at the forefront of the wireless drive. "A low-power digital radio technology, Bluetooth - in its current form - is a short-range replacement for cables that do not require line of sight between devices. It can support high speed and secure voice and data transmission.
"If this technology lives up to expectations, all devices that are currently connected by cable will be able to communicate wirelessly within the next few years, thereby opening up a huge new communications vista for mobile communication fans."
If a device is fitted with a Bluetooth radio, it will establish an instant connection to another Bluetooth radio as soon as it comes within range, which is currently about 10 metres. "In the office environment this means that users will be able to connect wirelessly to the corporate network whenever their Bluetooth enabled device comes within range of an access node. The device can be a PDA, a PC with a WAP browser, laptop - or even a phone. When moving outside the office, it is possible to create a GSM connection to the Internet or corporate network using a Bluetooth-enabled phone. The phone connects wirelessly to a PDA via the Bluetooth link and acts as a modem. This is exactly what today`s mobile warrior needs."
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