How should the bluetooth-hotspots be designed? What should they be able to achieve? In the course of researching the most suitable bluetooth technology for the Smart Cities Project various factors were taken into account. During the investigation and selection of the hardware, special consideration was taken in respect to quality and workmanship for use in info-terminals, which can be placed indoors as well as outdoors in Bremerhaven.

Functionality, but also possibilities and probable limitations of the bluetooth communication protocols for contents on mobile devices and producers were investigated and evaluated.

With this, the requirements were clearly defined. The determined requirement matrix was the basis for the product specification. The next step was the tender invitation for the bluetooth hardware. As a result of the complex requirements resp. precise production specifications only a few suppliers came into question.

For economic reasons only a few suppliers came into consideration for the delivery of the required technology. In some cases, the reaction of the suppliers to answer to the special tender request, including all technical inquiries, took up to two months. Towards the end the selection of suppliers was reduced to only three suppliers, who came into consideration. With this three concrete proposals were presented to the Smart Cities Project group.

As a result of the subsequent evaluation through the project group the supplier with the most convincing offer in respect to technical and economic aspects was invited to Bremerhaven for a test presentation on April 15, 2010. The main focus of the presentation was on the hardware and interface. In addition open questions and issues regarding cost calculation were cleared.

The presentation of the company HiWave showed the hardware possibilities as well as the possible spectrum of services. HiWave also displayed the possible service scenarios in the interface of the test-box to the project group. This included, aside from the transmission of text and pictures (city map) also an audio- and video-transmission.

After the presentation the test box and the corresponding equipment was left with the Smart Cities Project group for further internal testing and presentations. Next, the application was presented to the project director, Jochem Schöttler, from the Bremerhaven Tourist Board. Together with the project manager, Franziska Stenzel, after the presentation and discussion about the next procedures, the binding award of contract was given to the supplier.

Mid May Hiwave delivered the bluetooth boxes to the i-ventions GmbH. During the following two weeks, the boxes were hooked up to the „testbed“ for the hardware elements and the Info-terminals by the employees of i-ventions GmbH. The main functions and operating requirements for the installment in the in- and outdoor terminals were checked and prepared. The bluetooth hardware was given to the terminal administrator for installation preparation only after the quality-check.

In the second and third week of June, the first installation and connection of the bluetooth hardware to the info terminals will take place. A new content management system will be integrated for this in order to control the management of the contents on the info terminals from the administrator as well as to amend the control elements for the bluetooth hotspots at the respective locations. Parallel to this the start pages of the info terminals will be re- launched in order to improve user friendliness while searching for offered services.