This is huge! Exciting news for Bluetooth and the future of the Internet of Things, or IoT.

Chip manufacturer and Bluetooth pioneer CSR is today announcing their new Bluetooth protocol called CSR Mesh. Soon you will be able to walk through a wired environment, whether its your home or office, even certain public spaces, and your connected smart device will be able to control it for you. This could be either done automatically through settings that you have pre-programmed or done on the fly using voice command, gesture control or interacting with your favorite device’s touch screen. You will be able to control any Bluetooth Smart enabled device from wherever you are, including lighting, heating, appliances, and entertainment and security systems. Best of all, it doesn’t require the complex setup, pairing, or use of an access device such as a router.

What makes this possible? The CSR Mesh protocol allows Bluetooth to create a decentralized network of interconnected Bluetooth Smart devices. Most current, common Bluetooth applications allow for up to seven devices to be available for pairing and yet will allow only two to be active at any time and only within a 33ft/10 meter range. CSR Mesh technology allows each Bluetooth Smart device to communicate with all of the others in the network. Each added device will also extend the working range of the network. With CSR Mesh, you can control up to 65,000 devices in a single network! And if that wasn’t enough, there is virtually no limit to the number of networks that can be setup in a given location.

Why are these types of numbers so necessary for the success of the Internet of Things? It might seem overkill at first, but consider a modern office building. They can be the size of skyscrapers and contain hundreds of businesses and tens of thousands of employees. This will allow each person to have their own personal network that may or may not overlap with their team’s network, that might overlap with their division’s network, that might overlap with their company’s network, that might overlap with the office building’s network… You get the idea. And I hope you are starting to get the scope of what CSR has done. This is an incredible enabler for inventors, developers and manufacturers in every industry. It is limited at this point only by our imagination. CSR put together a great introductory video to help explain the concept (see above).

CSR is already currently working with a number of undisclosed companies that are building products based on CSR Mesh, set to be launched in the near future. This is going to be a quantum leap for all technology, not just wireless. We all knew it was coming, but CSR Mesh is helping make it today’s reality. And if thinking about this has only led you to more questions, you are not alone. We have plenty, and we are going to be leveraging our contacts at CSR to get them answered. This will not be the last post from us concerning Mesh. Stay tuned, we will have more for you soon!

Click here for CSR’s Original Press Release.