Protocols & Profiles SIG

Bluetooth SIG

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The industry body that develops and maintains Bluetooth specifications, manages trademark licensing, and certifies products.

    


    
    
    

      Also known as:
      
      SIG
      
      Bluetooth Special Interest Group
      
    

    
  


  




  
  

    
Bluetooth SIG


The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (Bluetooth SIG) is the standards body that develops, maintains, and licenses the Bluetooth specification. Founded in 1998 by Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Nokia, and Toshiba, the SIG now has over 38,000 member companies and governs every aspect of the Bluetooth ecosystem from radio specifications to brand trademarks.


Responsibilities


The Bluetooth SIG manages several critical functions:


    

  • Specification development: Publishes the Core Specification (currently version 6.0), adopted profiles, and supplement documents
    • 

  • Qualification and certification: All products using the Bluetooth trademark must pass the Bluetooth Qualification Program, which verifies specification compliance via Declaration ID (QDID)
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  • Trademark licensing: Controls the Bluetooth word mark and logo. Only qualified products may display the Bluetooth brand
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  • Interoperability events: Hosts UnPlugFests where member companies test device interoperability before product launch
    • 



Specification Process


New features go through a multi-stage process. Working Groups draft proposals, which progress through Study Groups, Feature Enhancement Requests (FER), and formal Review periods. Major versions like Bluetooth 5.0 (2016) or 6.0 (2024) consolidate multiple features. Between major versions, Core Specification Addendums (CSA) or Core Specification Supplements (CSS) add incremental capabilities.


Adopted Profiles and Services


Beyond the Core Specification, the SIG publishes adopted profiles that standardize interoperability for specific use cases. Profiles such as Heart Rate Profile, Blood Pressure Profile, and BAP define GATT service structures, characteristic formats, and behavioral requirements. Chip vendors implement these profiles in their SDKs.


Membership Tiers






Tier
Annual Fee
Voting Rights
QDID Listings






Promoter
By invitation
Full
Unlimited




Associate
$35,000
Limited
Unlimited




Adopter
Free
None
Pay per listing






For product developers, Adopter membership is sufficient for most projects. The qualification process requires completing an ICS (Implementation Conformance Statement) and, for certain profiles, testing with the Profile Tuning Suite (PTS).

  

  

  
  
  




  
  
Related Terms

  

  

    
    Core Specification
    
  





  

  
  

  
  

  
  
  

    
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Frequently Asked Questions


  

    
    

      
      

        
Our glossary covers 90+ BLE technical terms organized by category. Each term includes a definition, related terms, and links to relevant chips and guides.