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Bluetooth vs Wi-Fi
What is Bluetooth & Wi-Fi?

Bluetooth means freedom.  Freedom from wired connection.  Computers, handhelds, mobile phones, printers, MP3 players and other devices can be connected wirelessly by Bluetooth to create a personal area network (PAN).

Bluetooth is an open, global specification for radio links which provides wireless communications up to 1 Mbps (Megabits per second) over a distance of up to 10 metres (30 feet).  The Bluetooth initiative started in 1998 with the participation of 1,900 companies including industry leaders like Microsoft, IBM, Nokia and Motorola.

There have been debates on whether Bluetooth is more complementary than competitive with another standard known as
Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity) that is touted by the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA) or Wi-Fi Alliance for short.  Wi-Fi is based on the IEEE 802.11b wireless Ethernet standard.  Wi-Fi is easy to use and works very much like a wired Ethernet connection with a raw bit rate of up to 11 Mbps.  However, 802.11b uses the same 2.4 GHz frequency band as Bluetooth to send data wirelessly.

Exciting new improvements to Wi-Fi are devices from new 802.11 families, namely 802.11a and 802.11g.  Network equipment based on 802.11a specifications offers up to 54 Mbps and uses the 5 GHz band. The improvements over Wi-Fi are three-fold: 802.11a is faster, more secure and it avoids the crowded 2.4 GHz band.  Further on the horizon are 802.11g devices, which will offer 54 Mbps bandwidth and remain backward compatible with Wi-Fi by using the 2.4 GHz band.

Bluetooth is also expanding its coverage beyond a PAN.  This is seen in increasingly common Class 1 Bluetooth devices, which can cover up to 100 metres. This is an improvement over earlier Class 2 and Class 3 devices, which cover up to 10 metres.  For example, with a Class 1 Bluetooth card and a Pico-Blue Internet Access Point, a user can surf the Web wirelessly on his notebook or handheld device, while walking around a house.

Benefits of Bluetooth

- Freedom from cables and wires
- Does not require line of sight, unlike infrared technology
- Consumes less power than Wi-Fi – important consideration for hand-helds
- Connects devices directly on a peer-to-peer basis – no need for fixed networks       connections unlike Wi-Fi
- Has the support of Industry leaders like IBM, Microsoft, HP, 3Com, Nokia and Motorola


Limitations of Bluetooth

- Range is only up to 10 metres (unless Class 1 devices are used)
- Transmission speed of about 1 Mbps may pose problems with large files like photos and videos.  Wi-Fi is about 10 times faster at 11 Mbps and the new 802.15 WPAN protocol from Kodak is 50 times faster

Possible applications of Bluetooth in my organisation

All students and faculty from the School of Business and Accountancy in
Ngee Ann Polytechnic are issued with notebook computers.  98% of the students carry mobile phones.  Therefore, there is a vast potential of using Bluetooth technology to improve work processes and enhance the learning experience.  Some of the possible applications I can think of are :

- Creation of a wireless personal area network (PAN) at my workstation linking my notebook computer, phone, PDA, printer and scanner.
- Presentations at meetings, lectures and tutorials can be done wirelessly with the Powerpoint files beamed from my PDA to LCD projector
- Easy sharing of files with colleagues in an office meeting or with students in a tutorial
- My Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone will let me gain keyless access to facilities like my office, the lecture theatre, the staff gym, etc
- I can do away with manual marking of attendance as my notebook will electronically track students carrying Bluetooth enabled mobile phones.
- The Library can send out alerts to the students and staff of new book arrivals and reminders of loan returns via Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones and computers
- The Campus Co-operative shops can also send alerts to staff and students of new products and services available via Bluetooth-enable mobile phones and computers

Conclusion

In view of the pervasiveness and popularity of mobile phones among the students in my Polytechnic, it would be more feasible for our campus to subscribe to Bluetooth rather than Wi-Fi as the former standared  is supported by major mobile phone manufacturers like Nokia.
Visit the official Bluetooth site
Visit the official Wi-Fi site