Ucentric Systems Announces Availability Of Complete Home Networking Platform

22-Jan-01

Ucentricô Systems announced the availability of its complete home networking platform, that allows consumers to access communications, entertainment and information services from any screen or speaker in the home. The Ucentric Home Networking Platform creates a home area network that connects all existing computers, TVs, stereos and other appliances throughout the home to each other and to the Internet without the need for additional wiring. The platform includes an operating system, applications server, home networking applications and hardware reference design. With the Ucentric home networking system, consumers can access new and exciting blended services, such as instant messaging over TV, displaying caller ID on a TV and computer, playing Internet/MP3 files on any FM stereo and listening to voicemails from any TV, phone or computer. Devices throughout the home will share a single broadband connection to enable these new applications. Ucentric licenses its patented software and hardware to the full spectrum of original equipment manufacturers, enabling them and their partner broadband service providers to deliver now on the long-awaited promise of the fully networked home. Because Ucentric's platform is available today, they can get to market faster and tap new revenue sources sooner. ""Ucentric's complete home networking system connects everyday appliances - your television, telephone, stereo and PC - to each other and to the Internet, reaching into every corner of the home,"" said Rick Edson, CEO, Ucentric. ""By providing a consumer-ready platform, Ucentric enables our partner original equipment manufacturers and service providers to deploy today and deliver on their vision for home networking with life, simplifying and enhancing services that consumers want now,"" said Edson. According to a recent study commissioned by Ucentric and conducted by Roper Starch Worldwide, 50 percent of tech savvy consumers expressed interest in leveraging existing equipment such as computers, stereos and televisions to access new applications within the home. New Distribution Channel In the retail space, Ucentric announced an agreement with NETGEAR Inc., a provider of home and small business networking products. The partnership will bring together Ucentric's home networking operating system and NETGEAR's network products. This relationship kicks off a new retail distribution channel for Ucentric and enables NETGEAR to quickly come to market with a line of media-focused networked appliances for the home. About The Ucentric Home Networking Platform The Ucentric Home Networking Platform consists of an operating system, applications server, home networking applications and hardware reference design, which together provide original equipment manufacturers and their partner service providers with the necessary tools and technology to deliver home networking to their customers today. The Ucentric platform is neutral toward connectivity methods, leveraging the to-home (WAN) and in-home (LAN) protocols that make sense for any particular household or device - in the most appropriate wired or wireless way. The Ucentric system is compatible with cable modem, fixed wireless, satellite and DSL technologies on the WAN side, and can utilize Ethernet, 10/100BASE-T, HomePNA, HomeRF and 802.11b within the home to network devices. Based on Linux, the platform is open and extensible, ready to adapt to future technologies, standards, consumer applications and devices. Ucentric offers several home-based applications that run on its platform today, including unified messaging, instant messaging, Web browsing, caller ID and other alerts - all on any screen in the home - and a digital jukebox for playing audio - on any speaker in the home. To deliver the full range of applications and services that consumers want, Ucentric is working with the third-party developer community to bring even more home-based applications to its platform. Consistent with this strategy, Ucentric also announced partnerships with application developers PhoneFree.com, Qbeo and Vistify. For more information about Ucentric Systems, visit www.ucentric.com.

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http://www.ucentric.com