Ericsson, the world's No. 3 cellphone maker, said the new products, based on the Bluetooth communications technology that replaces plugs and cords, will run on Qualcomm's wireless technology.

Qualcomm's Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) digital wireless technology has traditionallly been seen as a leading rival of the Bluetooth wireless standard. "The true promise of wireless technology lies in its ability to expand the potential of personal appliances," said Bo Andersson, vice president and general manager of Ericsson Microelectronics, a provider of Bluetooth components.

Bluetooth is a short-range radio technology developed by a special interest group founded by Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Nokia and Toshiba Corp.

The companies involved in Bluetooth see expanded uses in telephones, allowing people to send digital pictures from camera's to viewers by just using a handset, as a wireless office intercom, as a medium to unlock a car, or to exchange a business card.

San Diego-based Qualcomm holds many patents for CMDA high capacity, high-speed wireless communication technology used in the United States and selected other countries. The technolgoy competes with the current European global system for mobile communications (GSM) wireless technology.