The technology supplied by Norwood Systems' Bluetooth-based EnterpriseMobility wireless voice and data networking solution has been included in trials for the BT Project Bluephone initiative.
The idea behind the Bluephone is to have a product later this year called Bluephone. The product will be available to residential and corporate customers.
The Bluephone idea is to have dual-mode fixed/wireless handset. It means you can use a mobile phone when in Bluephone-enabled sites and you make your call via your mobile phone over the fixed network rather than mobile network.
The user needs to be within range of a Bluephone-enabled site - home, office or maybe some public sites such as coffee shops - to have the call go across the PSTN network. When out of range, the handset will act as a standard mobile phone and send and receive calls over the GSM network.
Norwood is not the only technology supplier and John Lee, who is leading the convergence programme, of which Project Bluephone is a part, said: “ We have selected the Norwood solution as one of a set of different technologies that BT is trialling, as part of the research into the best means of delivering an initial product.”
Norwood is also doing a trial of its EnterpriseMobility product with Damovo, an Australian IT provider. The product allows Voice over Bluetooth when in range of a suitable access point, thus reducing the use of mobile networks in office areas or homes equipped with this solution.
EnterpriseMobility runs over the existing Ethernet LAN by running voice over IP using the H.323 protocol. It will integrate with newly deployed LAN telephony products to make easy use of IP PBX, unified messaging and personal assistant functions. It removes the need for customised hardware as Bluetooth enabled devices are being released for the mass market.
For the British Telecom trial Sony Ericsson P800 are being used with a special software as a client. The trials should be finished by mid 2004 when the product is planned to go live.
