KIRKLAND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) today announced the appointment of wireless industry pioneer Mark Powell to the position of executive director, effective immediately. In this role, Powell will lead both technology and market development for the global Bluetooth wireless standard, pushing it aggressively into areas such as health & wellness, sports & fitness, and the smart home, while growing the technology’s strong market share in consumer electronics, PCs, peripherals, automotive, and mobile telephony.
“Mark has the perfect mix of wireless industry technical expertise and entrepreneurial experience required by the Bluetooth SIG as we build on our success and forge into promising new areas,” said Chris Hansen, chairman of the board, Bluetooth SIG.
Powell most recently served as vice president of Kineto Wireless’ client software business, a company he co-founded in 2001. In that position, Powell oversaw Kineto’s global business and alliance strategy with handset and technology partners. He is a wireless industry veteran with more than 25 years of experience in business development, marketing, manufacturing, and engineering roles. Prior to joining Kineto, Powell worked for both Motorola and Nokia.
“Over the last ten years, I have been closely watching the remarkable growth and development of Bluetooth technology. It is amazing how the technology has become so widespread in such a short amount of time,” said Powell. “And while Bluetooth is a household brand name worldwide, the really exciting thing for me is that this technology can do so much more. I am looking forward to working with our over 16,000 members to grow Bluetooth to its full potential, tapping into new markets while continuing to advance in markets we already serve. Even at over seven billion Bluetooth units shipped to date, we’ve just scratched the surface.”
Increasingly, Bluetooth is the technology of choice, allowing billions of diverse products from countless manufacturers to connect to one another simply and securely. Bluetooth connectivity creates unmatched convenience for consumers, flexibility for product manufacturers, and new market opportunities for application developers.
Powell’s full profile can be viewed at http://www.bluetooth.com/Pages/executive-team.aspx.
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 16,000 member companies to collaborate, innovate and guide Bluetooth wireless technology. For more information please visit www.bluetooth.com. Bluetooth wireless technology: Simple. Secure. Everywhere.
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