The technology called Wibree technology has been developed by Nokia and will become part of the Bluetooth specification under an agreement reached by the Wibree Forum and the Bluetooth Special Interest Group.
According to Michael Foley, executive director of Bluetooth SIG, “We look at this as an addition to the Bluetooth family of specifications, enabling a new class of devices that Bluetooth isn’t really suitable for today.”
Bluetooth has been used to connect larger devices like handsets, keyboards and mice to stereos and PCs. With the help of Wibree, the technology will be able to connect smaller button-cell battery-powered devices such as watches or even sensors attached to a user’s body.
Wibree uses the same 2.4GHz frequency as Bluetooth. Also, Wibree has a much lower data rate and power consumption than Bluetooth.
Finland-based Nokia started developing Wibree in 2001, and announced this technology in October 2006. The company formed a Wibree Forum with other companies to license and utilize this technology.
From the very beginning, Wibree was designed to work with two implementation options- as an easily implemented extension to a classic Bluetooth radio, and as a stand-alone application.
“Nokia’s contribution of its Wibree technology into the Bluetooth SIG as the basis for ultra low power Bluetooth specifications will continue to enhance the consumer experience of connecting to anything and anyone from anywhere with Bluetooth wireless technology,” said John R. Barr, Ph.D., chairman of the Bluetooth SIG board of directors.
“This new technology, as the basis of a wide range of ultra low power devices, is a commendable advancement in Bluetooth technology,” he added.
The integration of Wibree, the low power technology within existing Bluetooth specification has already begun and the very first version of the specification can be expected during the first half of 2008.
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