Broadcom integrates Bluetooth into mobile phone platform

Broadcom, a provider of integrated semiconductor solutions for broadband communications, announced this week the integration of its Bluetooth protocol stack into its mobile phone software platform. The new software will enable manufacturers of EDGE/GPRS/GSM cellular phones based on Broadcom chips to add the short-range wireless technology to their handset designs. The WIDCOMM software--recently acquired by Broadcom--will ensure broad interoperability between mobile phones and other Bluetooth devices.

The new Broadcom Bluetooth protocol stack features a range of "usage profiles," software components that define and enable Bluetooth operation among various Bluetooth-enabled devices, such as PCs, printers, headsets, keyboards, PDAs, mobile phones and many others. The Bluetooth software platform has been fully integrated with Broadcom's cellular protocol stack, drivers, and user interface phone software that ships with the BCM2132 EDGE and BCM2121 GPRS cellular baseband processors. Broadcom supplies cellular chips to Sony Ericsson, Ningbo Bird, and PalmONE and with adoption of Bluetooth in cell phones.