March 6, 2001 – Ericsson is betting that mobile phone and handheld device users soon will be "blipping" as well as wapping for mobile information.

The Swedish telecom equipment maker last week unveiled the Bluetooth Local Infotainment Point – or BLIP – a product that allows electronic equipment to access information specific to a place, such as a sales promotion at a mall or hotel vacancies in a resort area.

BLIP uses Bluetooth technology to communicate with mobile phones and devices through wireless application protocol (WAP) or Web interfaces. A stand-alone local platform, BLIP provides new avenues for mobile commerce vendors seeking to connect with consumers.

"BLIP introduces a whole new dimension into mobile networks," said Peter Lundin, managing director of BLIP at Ericsson Business Innovation. "By gearing communications to particular times and situations, we have created a platform for a range of new services. In only a few years' time 'blipping' while on the move will be as common as home surfing is today."

BLIP is Ericsson's second product using Bluetooth – the first is a mobile phone headset – a technology that provides wireless connection for mobile phones, laptop computers or handheld devices. Ericsson is banking that Bluetooth technology will take off in the next couple of years. The company said that, according to Merrill Lynch research, more than two billion phones enabled with Bluetooth or WAP will be sold by 2006.

To help promote BLIP, Ericsson has initiated several partnerships and marketing concepts. One idea, said Lundin, is to place BLIPs in advertising panels. This would enable advertisers to use the panels as a direct channel for interactive communication with consumers. People who pass by would be able to "blip" in to local pages to download discount coupons, test new products and watch video presentations, to mention a few examples.

"We see large opportunities, for example in public transports. Each line could provide information or gather feedback from the passengers through BLIP. One of BLIP's greatest assets is that it is free of charge for the end user. That is why we think it will soon become widespread," added Lundin.

Apart from selling the actual hardware, Ericsson also intends to develop content solutions, both in-house and through third-party developers. In order to rapidly increase the number of available applications, the software platform will be open to external developers.