Bluetooth on the Rise

Bluetooth technology is on the verge of shedding its "big potential" tag and becoming a standard wireless feature in handheld computers, PCs, mobile phones, printers and even automobiles. Vendors say more customers are asking for the technology by name. In the late 1990s, companies like 3Com and Cisco predicted that everything from refrigerators to CD players would connect wirelessly -— to enhance security and the user experience, as well as save on the expense of running wires.

So far, research firms say, shipments of Bluetooth-enabled devices have not reached critical mass, but a tipping point is in sight. Shipments of all Bluetooth-enabled devices will see a compound annual growth rate of 60 percent from 2003 to 2008, In-Stat/MDR projects. For now, the big sellers continue to be mobile phones, headsets and PDAs.

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