Guide to Bluetooth Wireless Solutions

Bluetooth technology connects computers, PDAs, cameras and phones with one another without the need for wires, creating so-called ad-hoc, virtual networks that share information. That information can include everything from photos and videos stored in a digital camera to contact lists from a PDA or your own voice transmitted from a wireless headphone to the cell phone in your pocket. Bluetooth is similar to the popular wireless technology WiFi but operates on a shorter range, three to 30 feet versus about 300 feet for WiFi. It can operate in tandem with WiFi and other networks so this isn't an either/or choice. Thanks to Bluetooth's easy connectivity, a small business owner can use the technology to:
1.Save money because there's no need to purchase expensive cables otherwise needed to interconnect electronic devices.
2.Save time and frustration by taking advantage of Bluetooth's ability to connect devices from many manufacturers with relative ease.
3.Choose from one of three security settings.
4.Send or receive contact information and product information at meetings and trade shows.
5.Carry a cell phone safely in a pocket while conversing via hassle-free wireless headphones.
6.Create complex networks capable of doing everything from helping fleet operators manage deliveries to linking medical monitoring devices inside hospital rooms.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done




Get equipped
Bluetooth-enable your company by inventorying all its existing electronic devices. Some devices - newer high-end laptop computers, for example - already may be Bluetooth compatible. Other equipment can be made Bluetooth compatible with the addition of simple add-on devices. Finally, make Bluetooth compatibility a requirement for all relevant new electronic equipment purchases.
I recommend: Find the latest Bluetooth-enabled products at the Bluetooth.org Web site. The electronics firm Kensington makes a Bluetooth adaptor that plugs into a computer's USB port, allowing it to communicate with other Bluetooth devices. In addition to popular computer supply stores such as BestBuy and CompUSA that carry Bluetooth-enabled products, the online store Blue Shop is devoted entirely to gadgets for Bluetooth users.