The world’s leading event for Bluetooth® technology, Bluetooth World is the official annual exhibition of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). Hosting a wide range of product developers and industry leaders from around the globe, Bluetooth World 2018 was the culmination of 20 years of Bluetooth innovation — from its origins as a personal communication solution to its expansion to an industrial-grade connectivity engine.

The feature forum, 20 years of Blue: A discussion on the origins and growth of Bluetooth with the early leaders capped off the first day of Bluetooth World, where representatives from foundational innovators, Intel, Ericsson, and Toshiba, looked back at 20 years of Bluetooth technology and shared a behind-the-scenes look at some of the discussions and decisions that started it all.

“The timing and technology could not have been better. A lot of work went into acting on this opportune time when no one wanted wires.”

Stephen Nachtsheim, Bluetooth SIG co-founder

20 Years of Blue – A Discussion On the Origins and Growth of Bluetooth with the Early Leaders

For those unable to make the trip out to Santa Clara, California, USA, a few other highlights from the show included keynotes looking forward and hands-on developer training sessions.

Where Bluetooth is Going

Bluetooth® World attendees had an opportunity to hear first-hand how brands — big and small — are using Bluetooth technology in their businesses. These engaging keynotes validate the position of Bluetooth technology as an industrial-grade connectivity solution that will be the wireless constant in the Internet of Things (IoT) for decades to come.

  • In his presentation, 20 Years of Blue! (Thanks to You), Mark Powell, executive director of the Bluetooth SIG, explained how Bluetooth technology is more than just a technology and how it encompasses a diverse community of more than 34,000 member companies that have continually collaborated to expand the technology’s capabilities to address major new market opportunities
  • Justin Bautista, NASA’s wearable electronics application and research lead, discussed in his keynote: Developing Wearables at NASA Johnson Space Center how NASA is putting Bluetooth solutions in orbit, providing insight into their plans for implementing Bluetooth technology in wearable carbon dioxide sensors for astronauts
  • Attendee’s had an opportunity to hear Joshua Umstead, Disney senior product manager, discuss how Disney is Improving the Guest Experience at Walt Disney World using Sensor Networks
  • In his keynote, The Expanding Role of Bluetooth in Smart Buildings, Chuck Sabin, senior director of business strategy and planning for the Bluetooth SIG, talked about how recent advancements in Bluetooth technology are expanding the definition of the smart building and bringing the smart building of tomorrow to life today

The Expanding Role of Bluetooth in Smart Buildings

  • Eli Share, Bosch’s mobile IoT lead, outlined in his presentation: Engineering Tomorrow’s Connected Construction Site and the role Bluetooth® technology plays in connected construction, as well as provided insight into Bosch’s plans in light of new Bluetooth standards and updates
  • Attendees had a chance to learn about Bluetooth Mesh and Precision Beekeeping Technology from Xavier de Briey, lead hardware engineer and co-founder of Nectar, who shared alternative applications for Bluetooth Mesh technology, including using Bluetooth technology to monitor and aid the world’s dwindling bee population
  • In her keynote, How Different Verticals Can Take Advantage of Bluetooth Beacons, Janet Smrcka, Mall of America’s IT director, outlined the advantages of using Bluetooth beacons for indoor navigation, from conception to implementation to results
  • Adam Sobol, CEO of CareBand, discussed in his presentation: How Bluetooth Can Advance and Work Alongside LPWANs and GPS how Bluetooth technology can be used to empower seniors at home while providing peace of mind to caregivers and family members

Hands-On Developer Training

Beyond the Bluetooth® origins and impressive lineup of keynote speakers, Bluetooth World 2018 featured a number of hands-on developer training sessions, ensuring there was something for everyone who attended.

  • In his hands-on developer session, Bluetooth Mesh for Developers, Martin Woolley, EMEA developer relations manager for the Bluetooth SIG, gave developers a chance to explore the concepts, technicalities, and uses of Bluetooth Mesh networking while participating in a series of practical coding exercises to implement firmware for Bluetooth Mesh products
  • Austin Blackstone, IoT applications engineer for ARM provided developers the opportunity to learn more about developing with Bluetooth Low Energy devices in his introductory tutorial: Bluetooth development has never been easier!
  • In his hands-on developer session, Bluetooth and Beacons, Kai’ Ren, APAC developer relations manager for the Bluetooth SIG, gave developers insight into how typical Bluetooth beacon protocols (iBeacon and Eddystone) are organized and what the packet format looks like, as well provided an opportunity to build a Bluetooth beacon on a BBC micro:bit and interact with it using an app on an iOS or Android device
  • Developers had a chance to participate in Nordic Semiconductor’s Technical Marketing Manager Pål Kastnes’s training session for Introduction to Bluetooth Mesh commissioning that detailed all the key steps involved in commissioning nodes into a network using an app for mobiles
  • See all the developer sessions

“With machinery that will be around in 20-30 years, you need a technology that won’t be obsolete in that time. Bluetooth has been around for 20 years and it will be around a lot longer.”

Jim Katsandres, Bluetooth SIG, Inc.

Bluetooth Mesh – A Look Inside for Developers

20 Years of Blue

Bluetooth® innovation has come a long way in the past two decades — from cutting the audio cord and streamlining data transfer between devices to revolutionizing indoor navigation and location services to connecting and automating  buildings, factories, and cities. See how Bluetooth technology is continuing to expand the way we connect.

To learn more about the trajectory of Bluetooth technology, as well as the emerging trends, read the 2018 Bluetooth Market Update.

Bluetooth PAwR in a Large-Scale Test Network

In the ever-evolving, dynamic landscape of Bluetooth-connected smart devices, efficient interconnection and reliable communication…

How Bluetooth is Powering the Electronic Shelf Label Revolution

Join Rigado and the Bluetooth Special Interest Group as we explore the future of…

Three Reasons Why Retailers Are Shifting to Bluetooth® for Electronic Shelf Labels

As retailers focus on ways to optimize store operations and improve customer experiences, electronic…

Silvair Compliance Guide: Adhering to UK lighting and Energy Standards

Silvair compliance guide explores the most important lighting control regulations currently valid in the…

Bluetooth Mesh 1.1 Performance

In this blog, we explore different performance capabilities of the Bluetooth Mesh 1.1 network…

ABI Snapshot – Key Findings from the 2024 Bluetooth Market Update

In this ABI Snapshot, ABI Research’s Senior Director Andrew Zignani and Bluetooth SIG’s Market…

The Bluetooth® Mesh Primer

An introduction and explanation of important Bluetooth® Mesh concepts.

Automated Emergency Light Testing Through Bluetooth Mesh

During a summer internship at Nordic, I took on a project that focused on…

Bluetooth® Low Energy Angle of Arrival Location Solution – Tags, Receiver, Antenna, Firmware, Application Software

The development of Bluetooth® Low Energy angle of arrival location solutions requires multi-disciplinary co-operation…

Recently Released: New Trends for Bluetooth Device Networks新たに公開:Bluetoothデバイスネットワークの新トレンド

Though more commonly associated with audio streaming and wearable devices, Bluetooth® technology also plays…

2024 Bluetooth® Market Update

The 2024 Bluetooth® Market Update examines the direction and adoption of Bluetooth technology.

Why We Need the Ambient IoTアンビエントIoTが必要とされる理由

The next stage of evolution for IoT devices, the Ambient IoT refers to a…

Silicon Labs Provides an In-Depth Look at Bluetooth Trends We Can Expect to See in 2024

A global provider of secure, intelligent wireless technology for a more connected world, Silicon…

Six Bluetooth Mesh Feature Enhancements to Get Excited About

The new Bluetooth mesh feature enhancements offer more robust security, improved network efficiency, reduced…

2023 Bluetooth® Market Update

Featuring new market insights and industry forecasts from ABI Research and other analyst firms...

Bringing Wireless Controls To The Epicentre Of Connectivity

This year, the time came for the lighting infrastructure at the Bluetooth SIG headquarters…

Smart Lighting And Controls Halve Energy Consumption At Campus Pitzemburg

Campus Pitzemburg has cut its energy usage by 50% thanks to smart controlled energy…

Sylvania Lets Efficiency And Control Fly High At FLYINGGROUP Antwerp

FLYINGGROUP Antwerp was looking for a solution for their meeting rooms that were more…

Bluetooth Location Services

See 8 use cases for enhancing building efficiencies and creating a better visitor experience, discover new data that supports the latest trends and forecasts, and find out what’s driving the rapid adoption of location services solutions.

Designing and Developing Bluetooth® Internet Gateways

Learn about Bluetooth® internet gateways, how to make them secure and scalable, and design and implement your own...

How to Make Wearables Bluetooth Mesh Provisioners

Learn how to create applications for smartwatches and other platforms that can monitor and control nodes in a Bluetooth mesh network.

Lighting as a Platform

See how connected lighting systems are being used as a platform to enable advanced building services like wayfinding, asset tracking, and space utilization to improve the ROI of smart building investments.

An Introduction to the Bluetooth Mesh Proxy Function

Learn how to create applications for smartphones and other platforms which can monitor and control nodes in a Bluetooth mesh network.

Build a Smarter Building with Blue

See how Bluetooth increases reliability, reduces costs, and enhances your smart building ROI.

 Get Help