Raised Bluetooth forecasts

In its recently published report on global Bluetooth markets IMS Research increased its forecasts for Bluetooth enabled equipment shipments by 10% for 2008 to 718 million units. IMS Research has also significantly increased its forecasts for 2004. Report author, Stuart Carlaw, stated “This year already represents a very strong one for Bluetooth and there is still a quarter to go. We predict the market will reach in the region of 120 million units of Bluetooth enabled equipment shipped by the end of 2004.” The emergence of new application areas for Bluetooth are essential for the future success of the technology in the broader sense. The report identified that there were significant opportunities for Bluetooth in stereo headsets, printers, laptops, automotive, digital cameras and other consumer areas such as game consuls. However, Carlaw added “although there remains a significant potential for Bluetooth in emerging application areas, the critical factor that will dictate the ultimate success or failure of Bluetooth will be its adoption by cellular terminal vendors and equally, increased usage awareness and usage by consumers.”