Get ready for ads on your cell phone

Still, most agree that for Bluetooth marketing to work, consumers need to get something out of it. The picture of an insurance company's logo probably won't attract much interest.

"It (mobile marketing) has the potential to become a significant player in the marketing world as TV advertisers struggle to get people's eyeballs," says Jon Hudson, senior vice President of PC, automotive and consumer business units at CSR, "But it has to be more than 'your next McDonalds is 200 meters on the left'."

Some local authorities believe Bluetooth proximity communication has a future in the public services arena as well.

This month Paris City Hall has started offering maps and updated what's-on guides beamed from 20 of the city's self-hire bike stations, which have been all the rage since they were installed in July.

"We are trying to test the public's ability to use Bluetooth and their appetite for such 'take-away' information," says Jean-Philippe Clement, the Paris City Hall IT official who oversees the bike station Bluetooth project.

(Reporting by Astrid Wendlandt)