It is without doubt that USB has been one of the most successful wired interconnect technologies in the world. Within a decade, this technology has embraced simple devices from keyboards and conference cameras, to highly complicated systems like cell phones and cash registers. The variables that contributed to the popularity of this technology include a simple connector, an empowered industry forum in charge of the specifications and an industrywide compliance and certification program. But there is one major enabler outside of pure hardware — namely the software.

It is this software component that has played a fundamental role in the PC ecosystem to promote the popularity of USB. Operating systems, like Windows XP, support more than 15 class drivers for USB device protocols and the ability to create vendor-extensible software drivers. When Windows originally released support for USB, this was indeed not the case — there were numerous devices that didn't have the infrastructure support or the ease of use. As time progressed and the industry put more importance on the value of software, newer operating systems provided stability and scalability, enhancing the supported list of class drivers and empowering new technologies like Wireless USB to use the same class drivers. As newer technologies like network connected devices have evolved, the word on the street is, “make them work as well as USB.”

Wireless has brought consumers a new sense of freedom: the ability to be mobile, free from cables and to seamlessly connect. This progress in connectivity allows consumers to continue their daily lives without a second thought. While some may believe it's still a dream, the pioneers of ultrawideband (UWB), the WiMedia Alliance, have taken on that specific technology challenge. UWB has the potential to not only cut the cable, similar to technologies like Bluetooth and WiFi, but it also has a unique opportunity to launch from an elevated level rather than ground zero. From the start, WiMedia was faced with a dilemma: should they create a new set of interfaces and spend several years developing new class profiles/protocols, or is there an opportunity to leverage existing models? Analyzing both options, the group decided the best approach was to leverage existing protocols like Wireless USB, IP and recently, Bluetooth.

Leveraging existing technologies makes it easier to write software and reuses standardized interfaces. This is a software developer's dream come true, but the scope of software impacts a number of individuals. While making software easy to develop for software vendors is one hurdle, let us not forget the average end user. The average user wishes to use devices that achieve specific tasks and make their lives easier. Dealing with complex user interfaces and complicated driver installation steps can delay the proliferation of a technology.

When it comes to software, there are a few key hurdles to overcome. These hurdles can be broadly divided into a few key categories. The first hurdle focuses on initial software installation, standardization and distribution. We all know that after we purchase a new piece of hardware, we need to install the software that comes with it. What if we buy two devices from two different vendors and the software on each CD is incompatible with the other? This is where companies like Microsoft have played a key role in developing and delivering a common, yet extensible software infrastructure. This allows common features to be implemented in a universal way, while allowing partners to innovate and differentiate. The distribution of such new software is a paramount question and once the software is integrated into a mainstream operating system, miracles have been known to happen.

The second hurdle, which is critical for the end user's first experience, is the user interface. Have you ever faced a situation where you have obtained a new device like a PC or a cell phone and not known where to go to ‘add a new wireless device’ to your ecosystem, or configure the device to turn some features on or off? How often should an end user be subject to learn new terms (which sometimes differ across connectivity) and technologies just to be adept enough to perform some basic functions? A smart and adaptable user interface that is developed with extensive user experience studies can allow a new wireless technology to launch to new heights. Users know how to use wired USB devices. With Wireless USB, we have an opportunity to make the interface and experience just as simple as wired USB, by expanding on users existing knowledge of USB and adding in necessary infrastructure for association and configuration. The goal is to make Wireless USB easy to use, keep it secure, and enable new scenarios above and beyond existing wired USB scenarios.

For the purpose of this discussion, the final hurdle left for us to overcome is to envision the future of UWB. With unprecedented bandwidth available now and increasing in the future, and additional protocol adaptation layers like WiNet and Bluetooth also emerging, how do we empower software developers to scale to new usages? The same device could use multiple wireless technologies to transfer data, be it Wireless USB, Bluetooth or WiFi. In such complex scenarios, the complexities (introduced by multiple radios and protocols) should be hidden from end users by software. It is only then that software can truly allow UWB users to reach their full potential.

UWB, starting with Wireless USB, lays the foundation for the next decade of wireless connectivity. Software-enabled Wireless USB products will enter the market, leveraging the wireless experiences consumers have with current wireless technologies and the robust class driver support of USB. As the industry moves toward the future, with multiple connectivity technologies on the same device, the software challenges of simultaneously using multiple connectivity technologies, seamlessly transitioning between them and simplified association will be the primary challenges. It is with these challenges in mind that the Wireless USB founders are progressing ahead to evolve a powerful wireless device ecosystem empowered by UWB.

Fred Bhesania is the Microsoft representative on the USB-IF board of directors.

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