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Bullish on bluetooth

by sue marek
November/December 2001

The often-hyped and much-maligned Bluetooth short-range communications technology is generating quite a bit of interest among automakers and telematics firms for the ease with which it could enable hands-free mobile phone use in cars. Unlike most hands-free devices on the market today–which only work with specific wireless phone models and require users to upgrade their hands-free device every time they buy a new phone–Bluetooth allows subscribers to easily upgrade to new handsets and synch information as long as they purchase phones or other mobile devices that have Bluetooth chipsets.

The convenience factor offered by Bluetooth could be another feather in automakers' caps. The recent passage of a New York law restricting drivers from holding a cellular phone to their ear has fueled interest in hands-free attachments. Recognizing this, automakers have been looking for a way to use this new law to boost their telematics businesses and secure a piece of the enormous airtime revenue generated by drivers.

Chrysler announced in October that it will offer a hands-free system in its cars that uses Bluetooth technology. The service, which Chrysler says will be offered as a hardware option, will be available next spring as a dealer add-on option. Factory-installed systems will be available in 2003.

But Chrysler certainly isn't the only player looking at Bluetooth. MobileAria has a hands-free system that incorporates text-to-speech, Bluetooth and voice recognition technology to provide drivers with voice-activated access to their voice mail, e-mail and other information. And Extended Systems added a hands-free module to its Bluetooth software development kit for embedded devices, enabling automakers to incorporate Bluetooth technology in their vehicles.

Likewise, Motorola Automotive Communications and Electronic Systems Group is pursuing a number of Bluetooth initiatives. According to Dan Rokusek, senior engineering manager at ACES, the company believes the first implementation of Bluetooth in vehicles will be phone-centric and voice-centric. However, the company sees Bluetooth evolving to more advanced applications. "Once the Bluetooth node becomes prevalent in the vehicle, other applications will be built," Rokusek says. "But the first step is getting the nodes in the car."

Of course, none of these Bluetooth-enabled telematics offerings will work unless the subscriber owns a Bluetooth-enabled handset. And while some Bluetooth devices are commercially available today, most industry experts believe it will be a couple more years before Bluetooth is a standard feature in wireless phones and other devices. According to Jeremy Green, principal consultant with Ovum, Bluetooth will develop "on a slow burn rather than a big bang" because many industry players are approaching the technology cautiously. However, Green notes that Bluetooth is too affordable and too useful not to succeed.

The slow time to market for Bluetooth-enabled devices could be beneficial for automakers because they require an extremely lengthy design schedule. "People in the auto industry are looking at Bluetooth, but for it to be in next year's models would be very aggressive," says Brian Senese, systems engineer with Extended Systems. "Automakers have a long design end cycle and there are many issues to be considered."

And with longer design cycles, many carmakers are looking at Bluetooth for more than its hands-free capability. Some see Bluetooth facilitating applications in which a mechanic could extract diagnostic information from the car. Others see Bluetooth enabling multimedia applications such as streaming video or music.

The potential for Bluetooth in automobiles is great, but it still is years away from becoming a reality. And while industry experts say Bluetooth momentum is building, the lengthy design cycles for automakers could help fuel Bluetooth's over-hyped reputation.