Bluetooth next up for content delivery?

Bluetooth technology has yet to find mass consumer acceptance but UK-based Hypertag Limited still believes in the wireless system. Earlier this month demonstrated a new Bluetooth-based “Hypertag” system at Arsenal football club’s final game at the Highbury stadium.
As part of a sampling campaign, promotional staff wearing infrared and Bluetooth Hypertags gave out limited edition Arsenal wallpapers to fans. The Hypertags provided O2 with a unique way to promote their Arsenal mobile service to the thousands attending the game.

A Hypertag is a new way of allowing people to access info and content on their mobile phone directly from objects like adverts and signs. It works by allowing infra-red or Bluetooth mobile phones, and PDAs (e.g. Palm Pilots or Pocket PCs) to interact with a small electronic tag which is attached to the advert or sign.

To use the system, users enable the infra-red port on their mobile phone and point lights. They wait a few seconds, and then a piece of content will be downloaded to their phone. This can be a word and number, a prompt to remind them of an important event, a picture, ring tone or game.
Wearing a Hypertag allowed promotional staff to provide content instantly to consumers and with none of the barriers, such as cost, posed by some other mobile technologies. The combination of Bluetooth and infrared meant that more people than ever before could interact.

Hypertag Limited, founded in 2001, is focusing on on two initial applications, the first for use in the visitor attraction market and the second in the outdoor advertising market. In the future many more applications will be developed. Hypertag’s vision is that every physical object will be tagged with a Hypertag that will act as a gateway to relevant information.