March 20, 2006 Bluetooth's Mobile Handshake By Elena Malykhina Courtesy of Page 1 of 2 Bluetooth technology has gotten a bad rap over the years because of the perception that it's plagued by security flaws. But the ability to work with small devices, transfer up to 720 Kbps of data, and transmit waves through walls has earned it a place in many businesses' tech infrastructures. Full package info is just a reach away. Among them is , where package loaders wear ring scanners that read bar-code data and transfer it via Bluetooth to terminals they wear on their waists. Then, using wireless LAN access points deployed throughout UPS's buildings, data is sent to a global scanning system, which stores all of the information on packages. Buildings are connected via landlines to one of two UPS data centers. The ring scanners previously were connected to the waist terminals by a cable, but problems such as cables snapping would interrupt data transfer, says John Killeen, UPS's director of global network services. Bluetooth is ideal for UPS because it has to keep the devices very small and light, Killeen says. If a customer wants a printed receipt of everything UPS is picking up or delivering, the UPS employee will scan the packages using the DIAD, short for Delivery Information Acquisition Device, which can transmit information obtained from the bar code on the package label to a customer's Bluetooth-enabled printer. Bluetooth technology isn't tough to get. Nearly 40% of mobile devices sold on store shelves had it built in last year, up from 20% the year before, according to research firm Current Analysis. Global shipments of Bluetooth-enabled devices reached 318 million in 2005, compared with 30 million in 2002, according to research and consulting firm Burton Group. Headsets and cell phones with Bluetooth are becoming more affordable for cell phone users who want hands-free communication. Bluetooth-enabled cell phones can be had for less than $100. Most major carriers, including Cingular, Sprint, and Verizon Wireless, let customers use Bluetooth on their cellular networks; in the past, most of them restricted its use. Bluetooth also is being integrated into cars, letting drivers use a car's speakers for conversing with a caller. The technology first appeared in BMWs and other high-end cars, but now can be found in Toyotas and Hondas. E-mail This Story Print This Story Page 2: next page Page 1 | 2 Get the latest Messaging news, product info, and trends every week.			PayPal To Offer Paying By Text Message Novell Launches Linux 10, Mobile Server Review: Blackberry 8700c Make Mine Mobile: When Your Laptop Is Your Main PC BlackBerry Maker RIM Calls For U.S. Patent Reform BlackBerry Faces Challenges Beyond The NTP Lawsuit     Messaging Pipeline's Main RSS Feed     Messaging Pipeline's Blog RSS Feed Editorial and vendor perspectives The Six Flavors Of Windows Vista Microsoft plans to release a full six-pack of Vista versions, one for every taste. Which Vista will be right for you? Hope is Not Enough When It Comes To Compliance Three Ways To Authenticate E-Mail And Stop Spam Wikis In The Workplace Review: Google Desktop 3 Vendors are now talking about how collaboration can be improved by integrating video with messaging applications. They're even talking about adding live TV to mobile phones. How far do you go before it becomes a bandwidth and business productivity drain? Video is a great idea     13% Video is fine but there needs to be size limits     25% It's never used for anything really productive     38% I draw the line at live TV     25% In search of messaging products? Check out our brand new Product Finder for a directory of groupware and collaboration tools, security products, archiving solutions, and more.