Signature Q3 2008

In the News | Q3 ’08 Got News? Keep your fellow members in the loop! E-mail your event details, press releases or announcements concerning the Bluetooth SIG, Inc. to signature@bluetooth.com. IN THE NEWS NEWS All the news that’s fit to transmit from the Bluetooth Special Interest Group . . . A major shift is taking place within the A Better Vista A new Windows Vista feature pack makes optimal use of Bluetooth Core Specification Version 2.1 + EDR. Microsoft is proposing that all PCs shipping with Bluetooth technology adopt v2.1 by summer 2009. PC market thanks to Microsoft’s recent release of the optional Windows Vista Feature Pack for Wireless. The new feature pack, which requires Windows Vista Service Pack 1, lets PC OEMs enable new PC wireless functionality with the Bluetooth Core Speciﬁcation Version 2.1 + EDR, in addition to Wi-Fi Protected Setup. The Windows Vista Feature Pack for Wireless requires v2.1 + EDR hardware for optimal Bluetooth wireless functionality, but it is backward compatible with previous versions of the technology. It also enhances v2.0 functionality. “This is one of the ﬁrst times that Microsoft has met the software needs of the ecosystem in time to watch the rise of a Bluetooth technology spec revision that needed signiﬁcant software changes for the entire PC ecosystem,” notes Fred Bhesania, senior program manager at Microsoft and member of the Bluetooth SIG Board of Directors. “This is a major step for the ecosystem. We have been working closely with the top PC silicon manufacturers like CSR and Broadcom, as well as PC OEMs, and they are excited about this release.” Bhesania notes that, as Bluetooth technology penetrates the PC market (expected to reach nearly 50 percent this year, according to IMS Research), it has become increasingly important to reduce the number of Bluetooth wireless stacks in order to improve the consumer experience. “With ﬁve different UIs available in some PCs and on legacy Windows operating systems, users were getting confused on how to pair devices,” he says. To address these issues, Microsoft is working with its OEM partners to drive adoption of the v2.1 + EDR stack and leveraging additional software support from silicon partners to drive innovation. Microsoft is also proposing a Windows Logo Program Requirement mandating that PCs with Bluetooth wireless technology, shipped after summer 2009, use version v2.1 + EDR silicon. “This will enable both a consolidated user experience across multiple versions of Windows as well as a consistent platform for vendors building Bluetooth wireless software applications on Windows,” he says. For more details, please visit microsoft.com/whdc. 6 | SIGnature | Bluetooth.org http://microsoft.com/whdc http://bluetooth.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Signature Q3 2008

Signature Q3 2008 Contents Connect: Growing Markets Inbox: Spread the Word Ask the SIG: The Fast Lane In the News Perspectives: Views From APAC Bluetooth Technology in Retrospect: Headset History Bluetooth Technology in Retrospect: Headset History Bluetooth Technology @ Play: Unplug Your Fun Bluetooth Technology Interactive: Wireless Tourism Checkout: Groovy Gadgets Bluetooth Wireless Explorer: Mind Games Bluetooth Technology 101: Ads You Like It Bluetooth Technology 501: Group Efforts Wacky Apps: What’s NXT? Get in the Game: If The Glove Fits ... Revolution: The Space Age

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