Twin Suites from Ericsson target fast-growing Bluetooth Headset and PC Peripheral markets

Wireless keyboards and mice, generally referred to as wireless HID's, are two Bluetooth products now making their way to the market. Much appreciated by computer users in need of a more flexible desktop environment, Bluetooth offers greater functionality. Mobile phone users, among others, are beginning to enjoy the increased mobility and freedom offered by wireless headsets.

The Bluetooth HID Suite is Ericsson's answer to semiconductor companies intent on delivering reference designs for Bluetooth keyboards and mice to Original Design Manufacturers (ODM's) and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM's). This new Suite provides Bluetooth radio, baseband and software technology in ready-to-use, easily integrated, total design solutions for fast time-to-market.

"Great designs are not enough when competing in this tough industry. A lot of companies can offer the necessary hardware and software, but our Suites give customers access to so much more," says Johan Åkesson, Marketing Director of Ericsson Technology Licensing. "We offer a wide range of Bluetooth services, including training, testing, qualification and custom design services. In fact, Ericsson operates one of the few existing Bluetooth Qualification Test Facilities (BQTF) through which every Bluetooth product must pass."

"There is a clear trend in the market forecasts provided by leading analysts that wireless HID's will be among the biggest Bluetooth segments in terms of volumes," says Johan Åkesson. "Factors certain to contribute to this growth are the current efforts by the major suppliers of operating system and PC's to integrate Bluetooth."

The wireless headset is not only the most widely used Bluetooth application for mobile phones, but it is also quickly gaining ground as an accessory for cordless phones, in-car handsfree systems and voice recognition software.

"As with wireless HID's, the trend among market experts are projecting a major growth for headsets," says Johan Åkesson. "As the Bluetooth headset pioneer, we know consumers want headsets that are light, and comfortable, have a good voice quality and are not too expensive." This puts a lot of demands on the Bluetooth design, which must be small, power efficient and inexpensive to manufacture.

To achieve this, Ericsson builds its Suites around their highly integrated radio combined with baseband and software that are minimized for the application at hand. In addition, both the HID and Headset Suites feature support for the new Bluetooth Specification 1.2.