Bluetooth® technology revolutionized the wireless industry, ushered in the global beacon revolution, and redefined how you connect to your devices and with others. More than three billion Bluetooth enabled devices ship every year, establishing new markets and pushing the limits of wireless communication worldwide.
For most consumers, knowing a product includes Bluetooth technology can positively impact purchasing decisions. A recent Bluetooth brand equity study, conducted by Lux Insights, Inc. on consumer awareness and expectations around wireless connectivity, showed that Bluetooth is a trusted brand with 92 percent global consumer awareness. Of American consumers surveyed, 62 percent of people familiar with Bluetooth say they prefer Bluetooth technology in their electronic devices or will only purchase devices that support Bluetooth connectivity.
From End User to Industrial Use
On average, most people own three to four Bluetooth® enabled devices, but Bluetooth technology reaches well beyond the end user. With the recent development of Bluetooth Mesh networking and Bluetooth beacon technology, industrial and commercial environments are using Bluetooth connectivity to support their day-to-day operations.
Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) broadcast topology optimizes localized information sharing, making it ideal for beacon solutions, such as point-of-interest (PoI) information, as well as item and way-finding services. Bluetooth Mesh topology enables the creation of large-scale device networks that are tailor-made for building automation, sensor network, asset tracking, and any IoT solution where tens, hundreds, or thousands of devices need to reliably and securely communicate with one another. When used to support a wireless lighting system, Bluetooth Mesh also creates a distributed platform for other wireless building services.
“Toshiba is excited and supportive of Bluetooth Mesh and recent Bluetooth 5 standards…these standards significantly increase the range and robustness of Bluetooth.”
Lights can also act as Bluetooth beacons, allowing smartphone applications to help visitors find their way around a building. The same system can pinpoint the location of people and physical assets within the building while collecting a vast range of data from building sensors, making it available for analysis and real-time use. These are just a few of the capabilities a Bluetooth Mesh lighting system can provide when you use it as a platform for other services.
Developing with Blue
The Bluetooth® ecosystem provides the best enabling technology, along with the development and test tools and services needed to shrink your time to market. All of which is supported by a 20-year history of delivering the qualification tools and processes necessary to ensure global, multi-vendor interoperability. This is important to not only the success of your product, but vital to the creation of new markets to support that product.
“Toshiba is excited and supportive of Bluetooth Mesh and recent Bluetooth 5 standards announcements and activities,” said Michael McDonald, VP of Platform Enablement Group, Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. “Together, these standards significantly increase the range and robustness of Bluetooth, extending its use to many new consumer, industrial, energy, and commercial applications, while maintaining compatibility to the billions of Bluetooth enabled phones, tablets, and PCs already in the market.”
Bluetooth technology is the global standard for simple, secure wireless connectivity, and is supported by an active community of more than 32,000 members. When you choose to develop with Bluetooth technology, you get the benefit of proven global interoperability, value-added services, comprehensive market presence, and trust in a brand with global consumer awareness.