Signature - Q1, 2008 - (Page 30) Bluetooth Technology 501 | By David English | Illustration by Nik Shulz | Q1 ’08 PASS The Bluetooth SIG defines its qualification policies in its Qualification Program Reference Document (PRD) and requires that all commercial applications of Bluetooth technology be qualified through this program in order to use the Bluetooth technology brand. But what if a company changes a product after it has been qualified or the product doesn’t interoperate properly with other products? If that happens, it can reflect poorly on the technology and negatively impact the brand. That’s when the Qualification Enforcement Program (QEP) springs into action. The QEP was launched in October 2006 to confirm that member products are properly qualified under PRD 2.0. “The QEP makes sure we’re appropriately licensing the technology and brand to products that meet the criteria of the Bluetooth Qualification Program,” says Manivannan Elangovan, QEP manager for the Bluetooth SIG. Continuous Improvement Ensure Excellence Product qualification is serious business for the Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and its more than 10,000 members. The Qualification Enforcement Program (QEP) helps members navigate the qualification process and protects the Bluetooth technology brand. Think of it as a first line of defense in the battle against interoperability and usability issues. Experience More The Bluetooth SIG receives device donations and purchases Bluetooth enabled devices on a regular basis and tests them in its lab for interoperability. “We’re constantly searching for products that aren’t meeting the qualification criteria so that we can help members improve the overall quality of Bluetooth enabled products,” says Elangovan. The organization also conducts random audits on new and existing qualifications, although Elangovan notes that “random audits occur only if the members did the qualifications themselves and didn’t use a Bluetooth Qualification Expert (BQE).” (For more information on what a BQE does, read an interview with one in “State of the Art” on page 12 or visit the Bluetooth SIG’s BQE page on Bluetooth.org.) Sometimes a manufacturer’s Web site will list all the devices that don’t work well with one of the manufacturer’s products. “That’s a great research tool for us,” says Elangovan. “We’ll look at the combination of the two products and try to determine what the root cause of each problem is. If we find a problem related to a qualification issue, that’s when our ‘for cause’ audits kick in.” An audit is often triggered when people report interoperability issues to the Bluetooth SIG. Members and non-members alike can report issues with products at programs.bluetooth.org/apps/contactus. “Once something triggers us to review a product, the key for us is to determine the source of the problem,” explains Elangovan. “Just because a member reports an interoperability issue between products doesn’t necessarily mean it is the reported product that was at fault.” Occasionally, the QEP will discover that ambiguity in the specification has caused the incompatibility. In these instances, neither manufacturer is at fault, and there’s no need for qualification enforcement. When this happens, the Bluetooth SIG will propose an update to the specification, suggest the addition of new test cases or recommend specific changes to products to make them interoperable. Qualification problems are sometimes the result of component or design outsourcing. “Members who qualify a product don’t always develop the whole 30 | SIGnature | Bluetooth.org http://Bluetooth.org http://programs.bluetooth.org/apps/contactus http://Bluetooth.org
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