Small, entrepreneurial businesses are important to technology innovation and evolution. As Bluetooth technology embarks on its ambitious technology roadmap, the incentive program will enhance the diversity and quality of Bluetooth products in the market while maintaining the global requirements for product qualification. Small businesses will enjoy significant cost savings in their earliest attempts to be competitive in the Bluetooth technology market, allowing them a unique opportunity to gain traction before graduating to the same cost structure as larger market players. By giving these companies a lower cost entry point to the market, small businesses are able to ensure quality while also gaining access to the growing demand for Bluetooth technology products. Additionally, the program benefits the Bluetooth market at large by reducing the number of unqualified products making their way to store shelves.

“We’re opening the doors and leveling the playing field for small businesses,” said Michael Foley, Ph.D., executive director, the Bluetooth SIG. “The Bluetooth technology product market is growing so rapidly and small entrepreneurial businesses want to be a part of that. By creating this incentive program everyone wins — we increase competition which gives more choices to the consumer, and we improve the overall quality and interoperability of products making their way to market.”

To participate, small companies must prove that they have a paid-in capital of USD $2.4 Million or less and that their revenue from the most recent financial year does not exceed USD $3 Million. Once validated, the participants enjoy a significant discount on the costs of qualification. Program participants receive two listings on the Qualified Design Listings (QDL) and a 1-year license to use the Bluetooth Profile Tuning Suite (PTS) for a pre-payment of USD $2,500. This equates to a savings of USD $15,000 in costs associated with processes required for intellectual property and trademark license.

The Bluetooth Small Business Incentive Program is available to companies worldwide. Members began to apply to the program on May 1, 2008.

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