Bourk to play crucial role in Bluetooth review

Silicon Wave Senior Director of Advanced Products, Terry Bourk, has been selected to serve as Chairman of the Bluetooth Architectural Review Board (BARB).

Silicon Wave Senior Director of Advanced Products, Terry Bourk, has been selected to serve as Chairman of the Bluetooth Architectural Review Board (BARB).

Dr Bourk becomes the first chairman from an associate member company of the Bluetooth SIG.

Previously the position of chairman had been reserved for one of the eight Promoter companies who were the original founders of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG).

As chairman of the BARB, Bourk will lead the committee that in collaboration with the forthcoming Roadmap Committee develops the future direction of Bluetooth technology.

In this effort the BARB focuses on the architectural aspects of the enhancement proposal including how Bluetooth specifications are created and implemented.

"I am honoured to be elected to serve as the chairman of the BARB", said Dr Bourk.

"Bluetooth technology is a mature, robust wireless standard and is quickly being integrated into a growing number of consumer and industrial products today.

The recent release of the Bluetooth 1.2 core specification has provided some key improvements to the reliability and usability of products enabled with Bluetooth wireless technology.

However, there is still much to be done as we look to enhance the capability of Bluetooth technology with higher data rates, improved connectability and access schemes and a quality of service that will ensure a better user experience in multiple-use scenarios.

I expect that this year will also bring an augmentation of certain key profiles.

As more products are created, companies are coming forward with their ideas on how to enhance Bluetooth technology.

I expect that the BARB will be actively reviewing many innovative suggestions for possible inclusion in the standard".

The Bluetooth BARB is chartered to include 12 councillors, eight from the promoter companies and four from associate companies.

The associate councillors are selected through a two-step process that first involves a peer review in the BARB looking for individuals who have extensive experience with the technical specifications that make up the Bluetooth standard and whose company is sufficiently committed to the advancement of Bluetooth technology that they will allow this person to make a significant time commitment.

The Bluetooth SIG Board of Directors makes the final selections.

The associate councillors are appointed for a one-year term.

"Silicon Wave continues to be a company on the forefront of Bluetooth industry developments", said Markus Schetelig, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Bluetooth SIG and Senior Manager Wireless Connectivity for Nokia Corp.

"The selection of Terry as chairman is a reflection of his work at the company and of his past 4 years as an active councillor in the BARB.

We believe Terry's extensive knowledge and expertise will be an asset to the SIG and will help shape the future development of Bluetooth wireless technology".

Silicon Wave was one of the five associate companies in the Radio1 Improvements Working Group that defined the Bluetooth Version 1.2 core specification.

Silicon Wave was one of the key contributors to the Coexistence Working Group that defined the new adaptive frequency hopping feature of Bluetooth V1.2.

Silicon Wave is also a member of the Radio Working Group that is a merger of the Radio 1 Improvements, High Rate and Coexistence Groups, Personal Area Networking Group, and the Bluetooth Test and Integration (BIT) Group.

BTI supports the development of test specifications for Bluetooth products.

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