Cambridge, UK and Sunnyvale, California, USA – 9 October, 2012 – CSR plc (LSE: CSR; NASDAQ: CSRE) today announced that the company’s chief technology officer, Dr. Steven D. Gray, has been appointed to the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) board of directors. Gray will serve a two-year appointment starting December 2012, joining current board members from Intel, Motorola, Lenovo, Nokia, Microsoft, Ericsson AB, Toshiba, Apple and Nordic Semiconductor.
“New markets and use cases for Bluetooth are in rapid growth, particularly due to the aggressive adoption of Bluetooth 4.0 technology,” said Chris Hansen, chairman of the Bluetooth SIG board of directors. “Steve is an ideal fit for our board, particularly as he helped invent key Bluetooth 4.0 functionality, and also possesses the senior technical leadership and strategic understanding to help steer the next wave of Bluetooth expansion.”
Dr. Gray started his career in wireless technology at Nokia where, along with Antti Lappeteläinen and Mauri Honkanen, he invented the first iteration of Bluetooth low energy technology, code named Wibree. Wibree was later acquired by the Bluetooth SIG and evolved into the hallmark feature of Bluetooth 4.0. Dr. Gray’s career continued to Intel and Marvell where he built technology for smartphone and mobile device architecture and helped expand an extensive understanding of next generation networks, web services and cloud computing from his time with Huawei.
Dr. Gray’s career arc and expertise perfectly mirrors the strategic shift currently happening in the Bluetooth ecosystem. In 2012 alone, industry analysts expect that 2 billion Bluetooth enabled products will be shipped worldwide. From high-fidelity wireless audio products from SIG members like Beats by Dre, Jawbone, and Bose to ultra power-efficient sports and fitness devices from Nike, Polar and Fitbit, Bluetooth is the low power wireless standard of choice for the secure transport of data between devices.
“The key to seeing the Internet of Things reach projections of 50 to 100 billion devices is low power wireless connectivity,” said Dr. Gray. “Bluetooth SIG members have shipped nearly 10 billion Bluetooth-enabled devices since its inception, which far surpasses any other possible wireless technology that is addressing the need for low power radios, and is the natural choice for driving the possibilities of interconnectivity. Essentially, we expect that Bluetooth will be the low power wireless technology of choice for creating the Internet of Things. I could not be more delighted to be joining the SIG Board and continuing work on the adoption and development of Bluetooth technology.”
About Bluetooth® Wireless Technology
Bluetooth wireless technology is the global wireless standard enabling simple connectivity for a broad range of electronic devices. Version 4.0 featuring Bluetooth low energy technology creates new application opportunities for products within the mobile phone, consumer electronics, PC, automotive, health & wellness, sports & fitness and smart home industries. With nearly two billion devices shipping annually, Bluetooth technology is the only proven wireless solution for developers, product manufacturers, and consumers worldwide. Backed by industry leading companies, the Bluetooth SIG empowers more than 17,000 member companies to collaborate, innovate and guide Bluetooth wireless technology. For more information please visit
www.bluetooth.com. Bluetooth wireless technology: Simple. Secure. Everywhere.
About CSR
CSR is a global provider of innovative silicon and software solutions for the location-aware, media-rich, cloud-connected world. Our platforms are optimised for the automotive navigation and infotainment, digital cameras and imaging, connected home infotainment and wireless audio markets. We provide solutions to complex problems in the audio-visual, connectivity and location technology domains across a broad range of markets, with a technology portfolio that includes GPS/GNSS systems, Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi®, FM, NFC, aptX® and CVC™ audio codecs, JPEG, MPEG, H.264 imaging, PDL printing, microcontrollers, DSPs and broadband receivers. CSR's technology solutions and market platforms enable its customers to deliver a superior user experience and are adopted by leaders in the auto, computer, home and mobile markets. More information can be found at
www.csr.com. Keep up to date with CSR on our technical blog or CSR people blog, YouTube, Facebook or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CSR_plc.
