Table of Contents:
Overview:
In this technical article, we will discuss the History of Bluetooth Technology & How Bluetooth got its name, & how the initial Logo of Bluetooth was made.
Bluetooth wireless technology allows us to share the data, the voice, the music, the video and a lot of information between paired devices, It is built into many products, from mobile phones, cars to medical devices and computers.
Bluetooth technology is a standardized short-range wireless communication technology that uses a low-power radio frequency with low cost, It is interoperable and it sucks up very little energy.
It is necessary to learn about Bluetooth Technology and its history before you step into making a Bluetooth Development Project. This tutorial will help you to get understood.
The story behind how Bluetooth got its name
We all recognize the name Bluetooth. It’s synonymous with wireless technology, and we take for granted how much it impacts our lives. From smartphones to headphones and beyond, we rely on Bluetooth to free us from the tether of wired tech.
Bluetooth– The names don’t sound techie. It’s not an acronym and doesn’t stand for anything. So what does it mean?
Surprisingly, the name dates back more than a millennia to King Harald “Bluetooth” Gormsson who was well known for two things:
- Uniting Denmark and Norway in 958.
- His dead tooth, which was a dark blue/grey color, and earned him the nickname Bluetooth.
Image: The_baptism_of_Harald_Bluetooth, Source: www.bluetooth.com
In 1996, three industry leaders, Intel, Ericsson, and Nokia, met to plan the standardization of this short-range radio technology to support connectivity and collaboration between different products and industries.
During this meeting, Jim Kardach from Intel suggested Bluetooth as a temporary code name. Kardach was later quoted as saying, “King Harald Bluetooth…was famous for uniting Scandinavia just as we intended to unite the PC and cellular industries with a short-range wireless link.”
Bluetooth was only intended as a placeholder until marketing could come up with something really cool.
Later, when it came time to select a serious name, Bluetooth was to be replaced with either RadioWire or PAN (Personal Area Networking). PAN was the front runner, but an exhaustive search discovered it already had tens of thousands of hits throughout the internet.
A full trademark search on RadioWire couldn’t be completed in time for launch, making Bluetooth the only choice. The name caught on fast and before it could be changed, it spread throughout the industry, becoming synonymous with short-range wireless technology.
The “Initial Bluetooth” Logo:
The Bluetooth logo is a bind rune merging the Younger Futhark runes (Hagall) (ᚼ) and (Bjarkan) (ᛒ), Harald’s initials.
The history of the Bluetooth SIG:
1998
- The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) is formed with five companies
- Membership at the SIG hits 4,000 companies by the end of the year
- The name Bluetooth is officially adopted
1999
- The Bluetooth 1.0 Specification is released
- The SIG hosts the first UnPlugFest for member engineers
- Bluetooth technology is awarded “Best of Show Technology Award” at COMDEX
2000
- First Bluetooth mobile phone
- First Bluetooth PC card
- Prototype Bluetooth mouse and laptop demonstrated at CeBIT 2000
- Prototype Bluetooth USB dongle showed at COMDEX
- First chip to integrate radio frequency, baseband, microprocessor functions, and Bluetooth wireless software
- First Bluetooth headset is shipped
2001
- First Bluetooth printer
- First Bluetooth laptop
- First Bluetooth hands-free car kit
- First Bluetooth hands-free car kit with speech recognition
- The Bluetooth SIG, Inc. is formed as a not-for-profit, non-stock corporation
2002
- First Bluetooth keyboard and mouse combo
- First Bluetooth GPS receiver
- Bluetooth wireless qualified products hit 500
- IEEE approves the 802.15.1 specification to conform with Bluetooth wireless technology
- First Bluetooth digital camera
2003
- First Bluetooth MP3 player with Bluetooth technology
- The SIG adopts Bluetooth Core Specification Version 1.2
- Bluetooth product shipments grow to 1 million per week
- First FDA-approved Bluetooth medical system
2004
- The SIG adopts Core Specification Version 2.0 Enhanced Data Rate (EDR)
- Bluetooth technology reaches an installed base of 250 million devices
- Bluetooth product-shipment rate surpasses 3 million per week
- First Bluetooth stereo headphones
2005
- Bluetooth product shipments soar to 5 million chipsets per week
- Membership at the SIG hits 4,000 companies
- The SIG Headquarters opens in Bellevue, WA; regional offices open in Malmo, Sweden, and Hong Kong
- The SIG launches Profile Testing Suite (PTS) v1.0, a testing and qualification tool for members developed completely in-house
2006
- First Bluetooth sunglasses
- First Bluetooth watch
- First Bluetooth picture frame
- Bluetooth wireless reaches an installed base of 1 billion devices
- Bluetooth enabled devices ship at a rate of 10 million per week
- Profile Tuning Suite (PTS) testing becomes a mandatory part of the Bluetooth product qualification process
- The SIG announces it will integrate Bluetooth technology with the WiMedia Alliance version of UWB
2007
- First Bluetooth alarm-clock radio
- First Bluetooth television
- Membership at the SIG hits 8,000 companies
- Bluetooth SIG Executive Director Mike Foley wins the Telematics Leadership Award
- PTS Protocol Viewer is released as part of the release of PTS Version 2.1.1 along with a greatly updated user interface and report generation capabilities
2008
- The SIG celebrates its 10th anniversary
- Nearly 2 billion Bluetooth enabled products shipped in 10 years
- Membership at the SIG hits 10,000 companies
- Bluetooth SIG Executive Director Mike Foley is named one of RCR Wireless News Mobile Movers & Shakers for 2008
- Profile Tuning Suite (PTS) Version 3.0 is released, including automatic updates and further improvements to its report generation capabilities
2009
- The SIG adopts Core Specification Version 3.0 HS, making Bluetooth high-speed technology a reality
- Membership at the SIG hits 12,000 companies
- The SIG announces the adoption of Bluetooth Low Energy wireless technology, the hallmark feature in Bluetooth Core Specification Version 4.0
2010
- Membership at the SIG hits 13,000 companies
- The Bluetooth SIG headquarters move to Kirkland, WA, USA
- The Bluetooth SIG announces the formal adoption of Bluetooth Core Specification Version 4.0 with Low Energy technology
- Profile Tuning Suite (PTS) v4.1 is launched, including Bluetooth Low Energy technology test suites
2011
- Membership at the SIG hits 15,000 companies
- The SIG picks a 3D television for its Best of CES award winner
- Apple and Nordic Semiconductor join the SIG Board of Directors
- The SIG adopts the first new profile for Bluetooth v4.0 in May
- Apple releases the first two computers (MacMini and MacBook Air) with Bluetooth v4.0 technology in July
- Microsoft announces that Windows 8 will support Bluetooth v4.0
- Apple announces that the new iPhone 4S will support Bluetooth v4.0 and become the first Bluetooth Low Energy phone
- The SIG adopts 29 new Bluetooth v4.0 profiles, services, protocols, and prototyping specifications, creating the infrastructure for Bluetooth devices
2012
- Annual Bluetooth product shipments surpass 2 billion*
- Membership at the SIG hits 17,000 companies
- The SIG launches new resources for app developers
- The first Bluetooth Low Energy tablets and music players hit the market
- The SIG Board appoints wireless veteran Mark Powell, as executive director
- The SIG announces expansion into sports & fitness markets with the new working group and new profiles for real-time running and cycling data monitoring
- Dr. Steven Gray joins the SIG Board of Directors
2013
- The SIG rolls out Bluetooth 4.1, sets the stage for IoT
- The SIG introduces Application Accelerator for developers
- Google announces native support for Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) in Android
- LG Electronics joins the SIG Board of Directors
- Annual Bluetooth product shipments surpass 2.5 billion*
- Membership at the SIG surpasses 20,000 companies
- The SIG launches Bluetooth World
2014
- The SIG introduces Bluetooth 4.2, adds features for IP connectivity, privacy, and speed
- Membership at the SIG hits 24,000 companies
- CNET Joins the Breakthrough Awards as exclusive media partner
- The SIG expands Bluetooth World to three global event series
- Qualcomm joins the SIG Board of Directors
- Bluetooth hits 90 percent penetration in all mobile phones
2015
- The SIG shares its technology roadmap and enhancements for 2016
- The SIG and FIDO Alliance Deliver Two-factor Authentication via Bluetooth with low energy
- ARM, Broadcom, and Plantronics join the Board of Directors
- Apple joins the Bluetooth SIG as a Promoter member
- The SIG announces the launch of the Bluetooth Developer Studio
- Fitbit, Google, Under Armour and Lowe’s Home Improvement join Bluetooth World as keynote speakers
- The SIG announces the formation of the Smart Mesh Working Group
- Membership at the SIG hits 27,000 companies
2016
- The SIG announces Bluetooth 5 – new spec quadruples range, doubles speed, increases data broadcasting capacity by 800%
- Bluetooth introduces new developer kits for the IoT
- Bluetooth announces Imagine Blue Awards program
- Membership at the SIG hits 30,000 companies
- The SIG announces a new gateway architecture and toolkit for creating a connection to the cloud
- The SIG introduces the Transport Discovery Service
- The SIG announces Fliegl Tracker as the 2016 Breakthrough Awards overall winner
2017
- The SIG adds Bluetooth® mesh networking capability to enable deployment of large scale device networks
- The SIG launches the Bluetooth Qualification Consultant program
- Google and Philips Lighting join the SIG Board of Directors
- Membership at the SIG hits 33,000 companies
- Annual Bluetooth product shipments surpass 3.6 billion*
- Bluetooth World and Bluetooth Asia events hit record attendance
- The SIG hosts largest Working Group Summit in history in Kirkland, WA
- The SIG releases Launch Studio tool to simplify the product qualification process
- Apple, Samsung, and other major smartphone vendors include Bluetooth 5 support
2018
- Bluetooth celebrates 20 years of innovation!
- Membership at the SIG hits 35,000 companies
- Bose and Cypress Semiconductor join the SIG Board of Directors
- The SIG launches new test facility programs (BQTF & BQRF) to ensure high-quality testing services for members
- The SIG opens a dedicated facility in Kirkland WA for hosting and supporting working group meetings and IOPs
- Major tech companies announce strategic support for Bluetooth mesh networking, including Alibaba and Xiaomi
- The SIG initiates market research program and releases the 2018 Bluetooth Market Update report
- Major SIG events experience record attendance, including Bluetooth Asia and the Working Group Summit
2019 – No Today is 23-10-2019, till now there is no update from the Bluetooth SIG If any update I receive from them, I will update you.
I hope, You enjoyed the article and found some useful info regarding the History of Bluetooth and Story behind its name.
Check out the Differences between Bluetooth Low Energy and Classic Bluetooth Here.
Thank you.
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