Program Overview
Bluetooth Qualification is the Bluetooth SIG certification process required for any product using Bluetooth wireless technology and is a necessary pre-condition of the intellectual property license for the Bluetooth technology. Qualification is also necessary in order to apply the Bluetooth trademark to a product.
Bluetooth Qualification requires certain testing standards for all products that use Bluetooth wireless technology. However, neither the Bluetooth trademark nor the Bluetooth qualification guarantees that a product fully complies with the Bluetooth specification or is interoperable with other manufacturers Bluetooth enabled designs and products. That remains the responsibility of the product manufacturer.
Bluetooth SIG Approves Enhanced, Streamlined Qualification Program for Members
The Qualification program requirements, defined in the most current Bluetooth Program Reference Document (PRD), provide members with the ability to qualify and list their products on their own via the Bluetooth SIG member website. The purpose of the Qualification Program enhancements is to better assure interoperability, to verify conformance to the Bluetooth Specifications, and to strengthen the Bluetooth SIG's ability to enforce compliance with the Qualification requirements. Enforcement is one way that the SIG limits potential misuse of the Bluetooth trademarks and also enables the SIG to provide those members who meet a higher standard of testing with the recognition that their product represents reliability and quality when interoperating with other Bluetooth products. The enhanced program requirements will facilitate more efficient development of Bluetooth devices by automating many of the testing processes and increasing consistency in the testing processes , while at the same time reducing the time and costs related to the qualification process.
“We took a hard look at the Bluetooth Qualification process and came up with ways to streamline the program,” said Michael Foley, Ph.D., executive director of the Bluetooth SIG. “The program enhancements will help us meet the goals of simplification, improved interoperability and reduce costs while emphasizing stronger testing and the usability demands of consumers.”
Qualification Program Enhancements
The Qualification Program enhancements were made based on inputs about the existing Qualification Program received from our members. The changes to the PRD have enabled the SIG to more tightly align the scope of the Qualification testing processes with the scope of the Bluetooth license granted to a qualified member product. The Bluetooth SIG focused the program enhancements on four main cornerstone principles:
1. Lowering the cost of qualification
2. Reducing the complexity of the program
3. Increasing consistency
4. Improving interoperability of Bluetooth enabled products
In accordance with these principles, the following program enhancements were implemented:
The enhanced Qualification program will provide members the ability to declare their product is qualified on their own while asserting that the Requirements of the Specifications and Qualification are met.
- The Profile Tuning Suite (PTS) serves as a reference test system for Bluetooth profiles and protocols with the goal of improving Bluetooth interoperability in the marketplace. This unique tool makes the Qualification process both easier and more precise and also assists member companies in debugging, testing, and certifying Bluetooth devices.
- The Test Plan Generator (TPG) provides companies with a test plan directly accessible from the web. The TPG allows members to complete this process online and automatically generate the testing requirements based on their expected qualification date. Use of the TPG eliminates the need for complex, manual derivation of testing requirements from a multitude of documents.
- The Qualification Listing Interface (QLI) is the web interface where members list their products after completing the Bluetooth qualification process in accordance with the current PRD. A complete list of all qualified Bluetooth products, both components and consumer products within the Bluetooth SIG databases, is accessible through various interfaces online and provides customized information and search functions for different audiences.
- UnPlugFests (UPFs) are SIG member testing events that provide a forum for members to physically test prototype devices for interoperability and ease-of-use. Held four times each year in various locations around the globe, these events also offer SIG members the opportunity to test their devices against the PTS.
- The Device Library provides members access to hundreds of newer, qualified products currently in the market and an opportunity for security testing against known threats and vulnerabilities.
- Experience Icons help consumers understand and easily identify the specific capabilities of Bluetooth wireless enabled products. The Icons present the unique capabilities of each Bluetooth profile in a simple to understand, graphic format that provides a strong market position for a wider audience. Icons help educate consumers about the importance of products’ specific interoperability capabilities and functionality and enable easy selection of given device types that meet their needs.
How will the Qualification Program Enhancements Affect Members?
The program enhancements will enable members to perform most or all of the required Qualification testing, assessment and listing processes on their own without need for a Bluetooth Qualification Expert (BQE) or a Bluetooth Qualification Test Facility (BQTF). Although the BQTF is still a requirement for any tests that are CAT-A, the BQEs are now an optional service. Both services are still available to members as part of the Qualification Program and any members who are uncertain about the Qualification process should consider the use of one or both services.
The enhancements will also provide members access to several key tools including the TPG, PTS, and QLI. These tools can be used to produce a test plan, perform much of the required product testing, and list products on the Bluetooth SIG QLI web site thus reducing the cost and time associated with qualifying a Bluetooth product.
Qualification Enforcement Program (QEP) Overview
The primary goal of the Qualification Enforcement Program (QEP) is to ensure Bluetooth enabled products meet the requirements of the Bluetooth Qualification Program. The Qualification Surveillance, Auditing and Enforcement Process document describes the process by which Qualification Enforcement Actions are undertaken against companies who are unwilling to comply with Bluetooth Qualification requirements, are not compliant with the Bluetooth trademark requirements as defined in the Trademark Agreement, or who have one or more products in continual non-compliance with the Qualification requirements of the Bluetooth SIG.
Enforcement actions may include:
- Removal of the product listing from the Qualified Design List (QDL) .
- Revocation of the right to use the Bluetooth Trademarks from product documentation, packaging and marketing materials For member non-compliance with, the Bluetooth SIG may.
- Removal of members' listing privileges and/or revocation of Bluetooth SIG member status.
- Legal actions against non-compliant companies.
QEP in Action
Late in 2008, the Bluetooth SIG contacted a member company seeking information about a Bluetooth USB radio module that appeared to be unqualified. When the member indicated that they were not familiar with the SIG's Qualification Program and Listing Process a representative from the QEP team stepped in to assist. They worked with the member to educate them about the requirements and benefits of the Bluetooth Qualification Program and to determine the best path to qualification of their products.
For this particular member the best path to Qualification was identified as enrollment in the Bluetooth Small Business Incentive Program (SBIP), a program designed to reduce the costs of Qualification for smaller or early-stage businesses. In addition, this member reduced the time and costs associated with development and Qualification by using the qualification tools (Test Plan Generator-TPG and the Profile Tuning Suite-PTS), which helped are available to all SIG members.
With the assistance provided by the QEP team; this member was able to qualify their product in the spring of 2009 and to create an End Product Listing (EPL) in the online product directory, which provides product details and images to thousands of consumers worldwide. In addition, Qualification also made this member eligible to appear on the Bluetooth.com homepage as a featured product.
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