Bluetooth started in 1994, when Ericsson Mobile Communications began a study to examine alternatives to the cables that linked its mobile phones with accessories. The study looked at using radio links. Radio isn't directional, and it doesn't need line of sight, so it has obvious advantage over infrared links previously used between handsets and devices, there were many requirements for the study, including handling both speech and data, so that it could connect phones to headsets and computing devices.
Out of the study the Bluetooth specification was born. The specification is named after Harald Blatand (Blatand is Danish for Bluetooth) Harald was a tenth century Danish Viking King who united and controlled Denmark and Norway. The name was adopted because Bluetooth wireless technology is expected to unify the telecommunications and computing industries.