Bluetooth Awareness Nearly Doubled Among Consumers

 

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) commissioned research firm Millward Brown for an independent study on consumer awareness, attitude and usage of Bluetooth wireless technology compared to other wireless technologies. The study polled 1300 consumers between age 18-70 in the United States, United Kingdom (UK) and Japan during the fall of 2003 and again in the fall of 2004. Between the two surveys, consumer recognition and awareness of Bluetooth wireless technology showed significant growth.

When asked to select which technology allows mobile devices to connect wirelessly, consumers increasingly chose Bluetooth wireless technology across all regions in 2004 as compared to the study in 2003. In the UK, this awareness increased from 47 percent to an impressive 77 percent. In Japan, it increased from 43 percent to 61 percent. And in the US, it almost doubled from 22 percent to 41 percent. Compared to awareness of Wi-Fi which was also part of the survey, awareness of Bluetooth technology was more than double in the UK and Japan, while on par in the US.

“It is encouraging to see consumer awareness mirror the rise in volumes of Bluetooth products we have seen over the last year," said Dr. Michael Foley, executive director of the Bluetooth SIG. “The volumes have doubled from 2003 to 2004 to an installed base of over 250 million units and we see a continued growth likely reaching 450 million units by the close of 2005. In order for any technology to succeed, it must be recognized and understood by the consumer."

The study also shows that the Bluetooth SIG and its members own a strong consumer logo. In the UK and in Japan, almost half of the consumers surveyed recognized the Bluetooth logo in 2004. This was a significant increase from 2003. In the UK, the recognition increased from 31 percent to 50 percent. In the US and Japan, recognition increased from 15 percent to 25 percent and 30 to 45 percent respectively.

Information collected in the study also showed that the consumer is increasingly more aware of Bluetooth enabled products. Across all three regions, the consumer is most aware of Bluetooth wireless technology in the mobile phone, PDA and computer. The UK continues to have the most informed Bluetooth consumer among those surveyed with a consumer awareness of headset utilization as high as 40 percent. Though less in the other regions, awareness still increased significantly from 5 to 11 percent in the US and from 4 to 10 percent in Japan.
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