Bluetooth, UWB Interoperability Coming

An industry group aimed at promoting Bluetooth as a viable wireless technology said on Wednesday that it had entered into talks with developers of a competing short-range wireless standard known as Ultra-wideband (UWB) to ensure compatibility in future Bluetooth devices.

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group, which includes in its membership such tech heavyweights as Microsoft, Motorola and Nokia, says the move would be in the best interest of consumers since one device would work across both technologies.

A combination of Bluetooth and UWB would also mean faster data rates where such a need would be desireable.

"It has been apparent that members of the Bluetooth SIG would like to enable products with higher data rates. I feel that it is the responsibility of the industry to recognize synergies and limit fragmentation as much as possible," Michael Foley, Ph. D., executive director of the Bluetooth SIG said in a statement.

While details are still in the process of being ironed out, the SIG says that backwards compatibility with older Bluetooth devices is a top priority. However, when needed, a device could switch to the higher data rates available on UWB.

"The Bluetooth SIG's intention to employ UWB in their next generation products is a very positive step in allowing consumers to connect seamlessly between PCs, phones and consumer electronics equipment. This is an extremely positive move," said Stephen Wood, UWB technology strategist at Intel.

Bluetooth has been since the late 1990s; however, it really only has begun to take off in the past several years as computer manufacturers have warmed up to the technology. Apple made Bluetooth a standard feature in its last major PowerBook revision, and the feature has begun to appear in Microsoft based PCs. Windows XP gained Bluetooth support in 2002.