Bluetooth is well on the way to reaching critical mass in terms of market acceptance, according to a new study released Wednesday.
Specifically, Cahners In-Stat Group predicted that 13 million Bluetooth chipsets will ship during 2001 despite a shaky economy and world events. That represents twice the shipments of 802.11b chipsets, according to the market research firm.
Overall Bluetooth chipset shipments will increase to 780 million units in 2005, the report predicts.
“(Bluetooth) activity has moved forward in the mobile phone, notebook PC, and adapter space, with specialty adapters just beginning to show up for PDAs,” said Joyce Putscher, a director with In-Stat. “Once people are educated on what the benefits are, demand will rise for products that include Bluetooth connectivity, as long as prices of products are reasonable.
Spurring growth will be the creation of public Bluetooth access points provided by wireless carriers, the study notes. Many major carriers are evaluating such access points with Japanese, Korean and European carriers “ahead of the curve” in this area.
The findings are part of the report: “Bluetooth Overtakes 802.11x with 2001 Shipments on Track.”
