原创 Bluetooth LE: Are we ready for innovation of use cases?

2005: It did not exist. 2010: Adoption. 2015: Explosion! What are we looking at? Not so long ago it was proprietary short range wireless technology being worked on in research labs of Nokia, today, it has carved its way through not just being another standard, but as a technology that has been use case enabler, a differentiating feature in products, as a technology that has created a place of its own in markets.

Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), or Bluetooth Smart, has been through its cycle of being much awaited and talked about, to making the cynics grow confident with the delays in adoption, to a decent start in first year post adoption; and is now all set to disrupt markets. With well-established smart phones and tablet platforms feeling compelled to support it for its merit and also to stay on par with competition.

Yes, offering exciting features, and longer battery lives, BLE is all set to march its ways into existing health, smart home, and industrial eco systems. Do take a look at the data by AB Research and IMS Research. Quotes below help get an idea of the estimated volumes.

The introduction of Bluetooth v4.0, with low energy as its pivotal enabler, will drive a second wave of Bluetooth enabled device shipment growth" ... "the market is expected to achieve cumulative shipments over 20 billion by 2017.

– ABI Research

"A $6 billion market in 2016 is our most conservative forecast ... "

– Theo Ahadome, senior analyst at IMS Research.

Sensor networks, set-top boxes/ hubs for health and home control systems, indoor positioning, all these and many more use cases are beginning to adopt the new technology. Day to day fitness monitoring and health management have become hassle free with the new empowerment from this technology.

By 2016, the penetration of wearable technology in a number of current product categories is projected to rapidly increase as a wide range of new wearable devices are developed. According to IMS Research, new product areas where wearable technology will have strong impact include Smart Watches, Smart Glasses, Sleep Sensors, industrial and military heads-up displays and hand-worn terminals.

– IMS Research

Yes, it's true there have been other technology options available. But leveraging on mature eco-system of Bluetooth, and enjoying the benefit of wide adoption, this technology is all set to be not just another standard connectivity option for recognised, well-acknowledged use cases, but also open gates of innovation for hitherto unknown use cases. Are we ready to advertise, scan and connect ...?

Krishna Shingala is a technical lead at Mindtree and Vice-Chair of the MED WG in the Bluetooth SIG. She is also an active member of ISO/IEEE 11073 Personal Health Device Working Group and Continua Health Alliance.