Nov 28, 2001

Arima Computers reconfirmed its commitment to developing bluetooth enabled products this week, making it one of the few companies in Taiwan to currently embrace the wireless connectivity technology in its product line.

Having signed a licensing agreement with Ericsson Technology Licensing back in August, Arima announced now that the company had already begun manufacturing products with the technology. While this year, more than 68%of its bluetooth-enabled products are PC cards and adapters, it is expected that mobile phones will comprise around 67% of bluethooth products by 2005, with cards and adapters falling to just nine perdcent.

"Bluetooth" technology uses radio frequencies to allow various electronic devices communicate with each other over very small distances. Ericsson Technology Licensing President Maria Khorsand told the press in Taipei that bluetooth has been developed as a personal communication technology, allowing products such as digital cameras to send photos directly to a personal computer without wiring.

Mrs. Khorsand stressed that while more advanced mobile phone technology is still being developed, bluetooth-enabled devices are already on the market."Bluetooth technology is here, and it is here today, it is reality," she said.

Arima also announced that it has set up a research and development team specifically for bluetooth technology-based products in order to take advantage of the new technology. Currently, bluetooth technology is found in devices ranging from mobile phones and personal computers to digital cameras and hands-free phone systems.