by Rebecca Engmann*

Imagine tomorrow's workplace patterned on the floor of the Danish Parliament - with or without the political manoeuvering. Taking their cue from Harald the Bluetooth--the Medieval King who united Denmark into a single realm - Copenhagen-based firm BluePosition has devised an innovative mobile GSM platform to unite the Danish Parliament: lifting the business of everyday politics out of the technological Dark Ages.

Earlier this year, BluePosition outfitted more than 700 MP's and their staff at Christiansborg with brand-new mobile phones equipped with Bluetooth cards. The phones work in tandem with a series of so-called Bluetooth Access Points, digital trackers discreetly installed in every doorway throughout the hallowed halls of Parliament. Access Points transmit data on the whereabouts of the phones to a central computer, which can pinpoint the location of a politician anywhere in the building.

“Things must work”

Thanks to Bluetooth technology, Danish politicians need never miss a scheduled hearing or a crucial vote. BluePosition's communications platform offers a host of other functional features: for example, Bluetooth phones or PDA's can reroute calls to an answerer, if a politician is in committee, or in the midst of a fiery speech. MP's can also receive automatic text messages, informing them when a motion has been made, or when a critical vote is due.

BluePosition was founded by four former Ericsson employers, who began developing their wireless wonder for the Danish Parliament, after national telecom TDC won a prestigious bid for Parliament's communications platform, and outsourced the task to Ericsson. Late in 2001, Ericsson's reorganisation allowed the four to complete development of the Bluetooth GSM solution externally. BluePosition sales and marketing director Anders Frøland says he and his colleagues took with them not only the technological know-how, but also an important philosophy on functionality that is unique to the world of modern mobile telephony.

"With Ericsson, as well as within the mobile telephone industry as a whole, there's a central philosophy that things must work. This basic attitude about operation is more lax in the world of computers, for example. With mobile communications, people can turn on their phones and hear a strange tone, and realise something's amiss--that's not acceptable," said Frøland.

Signals saving lives

Frøland explained that, though innovations in mobile localisation - primarily outdoor localisation--have been in the works for years, the technology gained new currency after the US terror attacks of 11 September 2001. Following the devastation at New York's World Trade Center, mobile phones proved crucial in transmitting signals that could direct rescuers to possible survivors.

"Suddenly there was a very pressing interest in technology that could supply information about a person, as well as receive signals," said Frøland.

Bluetooth technology provides users with integrated localisation services indoors or out, making the technology perfect for businesses that need to keep tabs on their employees at all times.

"One might fear a backlash about employers tracking the whereabouts of their workers, but we haven't seen any problems yet. This technology must be seen in terms of functionality--most people are not interested in knowing how long a worker is at lunch, for example. Functional information is the key," said Frøland.

This summer, BluePosition was featured at the Bluetooth World Congress in Amsterdam, where its grand experiment in the halls of the Danish Parliament--one of the largest consumer trials in the product's history - was touted as a prime example of location-based, customised wireless services. But they'll leave it to the politicians to do the talking...

This article was originally published by Øresund IT Magasine (Autumn 2003). You can download the magazine in PDF format on Publications.

*Rebecca Engmann is an American journalist living in Copenhagen.