Bluetooth Group shows rapid expansion

Bluetooth technology in smart home devices has helped the Bluetooth Special Interest Group expand 15 percent annually.

The group now has more than 27,000 member companies and organizations. The growth rate of its members in Asia Pacific has been around 16 percent in recent years, with the majority 6,462 coming from the Greater China area.

According to market consultancy IHS Technology, a total of 3 billion sets of Bluetooth devices will be shipped this year, which is a huge increase from the 800,000 15 years ago. The number is expected to reach 4.4 billion in 2019. By 2018, 96 percent of the world's mobile phones will have be Bluetooth Smart Ready devices.

Between 2014 and 2019, the Bluetooth smart market will grow by 20 percent in consumer electronics and 59 percent in the healthcare and gym sectors. The smart home industry will grow by 106 percent, according to IHS Technology.