Free Wireless Access to Data and Post-Season Tickets Possible for Longhorns Faithful
AUSTIN, TX – September 4, 2007 – An exciting new way to use Bluetooth wireless technology was introduced to University of Texas students and fans at the season opener this past weekend. Those with Bluetooth enabled phones at Darrell K Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium received free Longhorn mobile content and a chance to win 2007 post-season bowl game tickets wherever the Longhorns play – all via Bluetooth wireless technology.
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) launched a unique sponsorship agreement with the University of Texas Athletics Department and Host Communications-Longhorns Sports Network. The sponsorship includes the placement of Bluetooth wireless technology kiosks throughout Darrell K Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium and TransSend technology on UT’s high-traffic web sites www.TexasSports.com and www.MackBrown-TexasFootball.com.
Beginning with the Longhorns’ Sept. 1 football opener vs. Arkansas State, five Bluetooth enabled kiosks located throughout the stadium will be pushing out UT images and information to fans with Bluetooth enabled mobile phones. Also included are promotional codes to register for 2007 post-season bowl game tickets at www.bluetooth.com/longhorns. More than 80,000 fans attend each home football game at Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium, an ideal venue to introduce this unique Bluetooth application.
TransSend, a web application developed by the Bluetooth SIG, allows UT’s sports web site users to wirelessly send images, schedules and other web-based information from Bluetooth enabled laptops and PCs to Bluetooth enabled phones and PDAs. With more than 1.5 billion Bluetooth enabled devices in use worldwide, the average consumer has Bluetooth technology in at least one mobile device. While most consumers associate Bluetooth technology with hands-free talking, this program showcases other simple ways to use the wireless technology including sending content directly to consumers.
"Texas Football games are a perfect venue to show how Bluetooth technology can be used in different – and perhaps unexpected – ways,” said Michael Foley, Ph.D., executive director of the Bluetooth SIG. “Fans with Bluetooth enabled phones instantly get images or more information about their favorite team, delivered wirelessly and free. Texas fans and students are tech savvy and loyal. We want to make it easy for them to get content they want on the wireless devices they already use and become fans of Bluetooth technology too.”
www.TexasSports.com and www.MackBrown-TexasFootball.com web sites are the first consumer web sites to offer TransSend with Bluetooth wireless technology. Visitors to the sites may now select images, schedules, or even full articles and send the information wirelessly and free to their mobile phone or PDA. Users will have two simple ways to TransSend content from UT Athletics web sites to their Bluetooth mobile devices: they can click on a TransSend icon next to content throughout both sites, or they can right-click on specific information and select the option to TransSend the data.
With either method, the computer will automatically begin searching for Bluetooth devices within range and allow the user to select the device they wish to receive the information. Within a few seconds, the transfer is complete, free of charge and without wasting valuable text messages or network minutes.
“Texas fans demand and deserve the most accessible information on their teams through www.TexasSports.com and www.MackBrown-TexasFootball.com,” said Chris Plonsky, UT’s Women’s AD and Sr. Associate AD for Men’s and Women’s Athletics External Services. “Introducing TransSend with Bluetooth technology on Texas Athletics web sites offers a cutting edge way for our avid fan base to stay connected to Longhorn sports and our excellent web site content.”
About Bluetooth® Wireless Technology
Bluetooth wireless technology is the global short-range wireless standard for personal connectivity of a broad range of electronic devices. The technology is now available in its fourth version of the core specification and continues to develop, building on its inherent strengths – small-form factor radio, low power, low cost, built-in security, robustness, ease-of-use, and ad hoc networking abilities. More than five new Bluetooth enabled products are qualified every working day and 13 million Bluetooth units are shipping per week. The installed base of Bluetooth devices is 1.5 billion and climbing, making it the only proven choice for developers, product manufacturers, and consumers worldwide.
About the Bluetooth SIG
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), comprised of leaders in the telecommunications, computing, consumer electronics, automotive and network industries, is driving development of Bluetooth wireless technology and bringing it to market. The Bluetooth SIG includes Promoter group companies Ericsson, Intel, Lenovo, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia and Toshiba, along with over 9,000 Associate and Adopter member companies. The Bluetooth SIG, Inc. headquarters are located in Bellevue, Washington, U.S.A. For more information please visit www.bluetooth.com.
The Bluetooth word mark and logo are registered trademarks and are owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc.
NOTE TO EDITORS: Media assets (stills and video) to accompany stories about Bluetooth wireless technology are available on Bluetooth.com, hosted by The NewsMarket: http://www.thenewsmarket.com/Bluetooth/br/Story/MultimediaPressPacks.aspx
PRESS CONTACTS:
Blair Poloskey
INK Public Relations for the Bluetooth SIG
(512) 382-8983
blair@ink-pr.com
Chris Plonsky
Sr. Associate AD for Men’s and Women’s Athletics External Services
University of Texas Athletics Department
Chris.plonsky@athletics.texas.edu
Nick Voinis
Sr. Associate AD for Communications
University of Texas Athletics Department
Nick.voinis@athletics.texas.edu