London, UK 31st July 08: OMTP, the mobile operator sponsored organisation today released a set of requirements which provide a clear direction on the support of a consistent set of Bluetooth profiles for mobile devices and accessories.

As a technology Bluetooth has evolved to support many types of functionality via profiles. Without a recommended design for mobile handsets it is possible for many different designs to come market. The end result being products that do not communicate at all, or have limited feature functionality.

To address this issue, the OMTP initiated a task with the objective of improving the end user experience for Bluetooth. Some of the world’s largest mobile operators, mobile manufacturers and chipset suppliers have supported the task. Recommendations have now been published and are available for public download from www.omtp.org/publications.aspx. The recommendations support a number of scenarios, including the use of Bluetooth for connection with a headset, listening to stereo audio, in car use, transferring files between a variety of devices and wireless printing.  The recommendations define two classes of Bluetooth which must be implemented on a mobile terminal with Bluetooth Core Specification Version 2 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate).

“Bluetooth is a key capability in mobile devices but at present, it is not always clear which devices can connect to other devices or accessories for different wireless features. By introducing just a basic and advanced class of devices, consumers will avoid the situation where different Bluetooth devices cannot communicate because they support different profiles or revisions.” said Tim Raby, Managing Director - OMTP.

By simplifying the possible Bluetooth implementations used on mobile phones, all areas of the value chain should gain - operators by simplifying their requirement specifications, mobile manufacturers by designing and testing against a single reference design and consumers by improved connectivity and increased functionality. 

Following publication, OMTP will strengthen its working relationship with the Bluetooth Special Interest Group and other interested groups to ensure a wider adoption. In parallel, work will continue in OMTP to provide recommendations for future Bluetooth core specifications and associated profiles.

About OMTP

OMTP is a forum funded by companies from across the mobile phone value chain, set up with the aim of gathering and driving mobile terminal requirements to ensure consistent and secure implementations, thereby reducing fragmentation and simplifying the customer experience of mobile data services across mobile terminals.  OMTP is backed by many of the largest mobile operators and has members from 24 hardware and software vendors across the value chain. OMTP recommendations benefit carriers, content providers, middleware vendors and handset manufacturers to develop open and compatible mobile devices.  For more information, visit http://www.omtp.org.