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When The Demo Fails…
By: Adena Schutzberg, Mapping/GIS Editor,
TenLinks.com.
The big Bluetooth demo, aimed to wow attendees at Germany’s CeBIT show,
did not come off as planned. The goal was to form the largest wireless
network ever built, including 130 transmitters that would beam information
to handheld devices. Instead, the transmitters failed to connect.
The blame for the failure of the two-year old short range, non-line of
site networking technology comes down to lack of interoperability.
Apparently the standard is defined, but companies are using different
specifications, so that products from one company may not work with those
of others. There is hope; a new “standardized” version is out with
products based on it expected later this spring. They may not, however, be
compatible with the older products.
So, what does one say when the demo fails? Marketing people can take spin
lessons from one of the event organizers: “If it didn't have problems at
the beginning, it wouldn't be great technology,” claims Ulrich Woessner of
Lesswire AG.
What was hot at CeBIT? First off, a German electrical utility showed off
its new system for delivering high-speed Internet connections through
residential wall sockets. It’s more than 3x as fast as current offerings
by Germany’s telephone company at two million bytes per second. Second,
Motorola introduced a digital camera implanted in a bra-like contraption
that allows wearers to video their every move.
Suggested Reading:
Bluetooth Demonstration Flops (CNET)
CeBITs and Pieces (The Standard)
CeBIT-The Allure of the Practical Rules Tech's Biggest Show
Adena Schutzberg (aschutzberg@tenlinks.com) Senior Advisor, Ultimate Map/GIS Directory and
Editor of the "GIS Monitor". Adena has ten years experiencing using, developing and marketing
mapping and GIS products. She’s worked as a CAD/GIS manager in a
consulting firm, and held positions at GIS vendors ESRI and Cadcorp.
She currently runs a GIS consulting business.
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