Newest member expands the Board's global footprint and market expertise
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has announced the appointment of LG Electronics to the Bluetooth SIG Board of Directors. The Board is made up of 11 globally diverse companies, with Apple, Intel, Microsoft and Motorola headquartered in the Americas, Lenovo, Toshiba and LG Electronics headquartered in Asia-Pacific, and CSR, Ericson, Nordic and Nokia headquartered in Europe.
LG Electronics' expansive product offering, from televisions to refrigerators, adds significant market experience in key growth areas for Bluetooth technology, including home automation and home entertainment, said the SIG.
'Bluetooth is the glue holding our connected world together, regardless of region or market,' said Mark Powell, executive director, Bluetooth SIG. 'It is essential that our Board reflect not only the diverse markets in which Bluetooth plays, but also our global footprint. Adding LG strengthens us in both of these areas, making our leadership and Bluetooth technology better for our over 19,000 SIG members.'
Minsoo Lee, chief research engineer for standards and technology at LG, will fill the new seat. Lee currently leads standards activity for LG, focusing on IEEE, UPnP, DLNA, DECE and other home networking standards. He previously served as research professor at Chung-Ang University in the Home Network Research Center (HNRC)-Information Technology Research Center (ITRC) supported by Korea's Ministry of Knowledge Economy. Lee is an active participant in SIG working groups and serves as the vice-chair for the IEEE 2200 Standards Protocol for Stream Management in Media Devices.
'As a global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics and home appliances, LG believes Bluetooth will continue to be one of the key wireless technologies connecting our world, particularly in the areas of mobile communications, home entertainment and healthcare,' said Lee. 'We are looking forward to continuing our support of the Bluetooth SIG, contributing to the direction of the Bluetooth specification, and leading the technology forward to engage more consumers in more meaningful ways.'
The Bluetooth SIG Board of Directors also announced Apple and Nordic Semiconductor would retain their Associate Board Member positions. Apple and Nordic Semiconductor joined the board in 2011 for a two year term.
Added Powell: 'Our Board of Directors and Associate members are volunteers who dedicate their time, thought leadership and expertise to ensure Bluetooth technology remains the de facto global wireless standard. We appreciate their guidance and are pleased to work even closer with Mr. Lee and LG moving forward.'
