HomePlug Takes CES by Storm!

The HomePlug Powerline Alliance marked the occasion of the 2005 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) with a broad base of exciting news from a variety of HomePlug-member companies.

There were demonstrations throughout the exhibition halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center showcasing HomePlug technology in various HomePlug-member booths. The display of HomePlug technology amplified the alliance’s efforts in creating robust, multi-vendor specifications through a rigorous specification process.

Announcements included new products, further progress on HomePlug AV, and a host of new member companies. All this news brings industry support for the alliance’s interoperable specifications to a new level.

Members of the multi-company team working the HomePlug booth reported great interest from an overwhelming number of guests. Analysts and media visited the booth, and commenting on the droves of people who marveled at the demonstration of HDTV and Home Theater streaming through simple, basic electrical sockets.

HomePlug AV Demonstrations Wow Attendees!
The demonstration of a HomePlug AV prototype showed how HomePlug AV technology enhances a consumers' entertainment experience by enabling whole-house distribution of content without the need to purchase additional digital recorders, or to run new wires. By enabling the convergence of flat panel TVs with other digital entertainment devices, HomePlug AV presents an excellent opportunity for OEMs of flat panel TVs to expand their total available market.

The demonstration in the alliance booth, put together by HomePlug-member companies Sharp and Intellon, were one of several places on the show floor where HomePlug AV was demonstrated. The exhibits of Sharp, Samsung, Freescale, and Intellon also showed prototypes of HomePlug AV technology.

Both companies demonstrated how HomePlug AV can distribute high-definition content from Personal Video Recorders to anywhere in the home. “Today consumers demand more HD content to be distributed around the home, but the necessary connectivity is complicated due to configuration limitations,” said Deepak Ayyagari, principal scientist, Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc. “With its ease of use and the ubiquity of power outlets in the home, HomePlug AV makes LCD TVs a more attractive investment for digital home entertainment, because consumers can now easily connect their TVs with any number of digital platforms in the home.”

Samsung, Freescale and Intellon demonstrated the distribution of multi-stream high-definition content via HomePlug AV and Ultra-Wideband Networks. This demonstration showedcased how a hybrid network enhances a consumer’s HDTV experience by providing easy connectivity, robust coverage and freedom of mobility. In the demonstration, HomePlug AV technology served as the network backbone, transmitting HD content from Samsung’s media server to multiple HDTV displays by simply plugging the server and the HDTVs into any convenient power outlets.

HomePlug AV, which is due to be approved by the HomePlug Board of Directors near the end of the first quarter, is the culmination of the alliance’s open standardization process. Contributors to the HomePlug AV baseline technology, and those working on the final specification, have verified that by using the “best of breed” technologies from several proponents (Arkados, Conexant, Intellon, and Sharp), HomePlug AV is the best powerline technology for distributing HDTV and Home Theater throughout a house.

HomePlug 1.0 Market Continues to March Forward
HomePlug 1.0 devices got their fair share of the attention, thanks to all the new products and applications that are coming market. NetGear, Belkin, Asoka, Corinex, Gigafast, ST&T, and a wealth of other product companies displayed new and innovative products on the show floor, further demonstrating the variety of HomePlug 1.0 certified products. Semiconductor companies like Arkados, Conexant, and Intellon made new announcements and began discussion of their upcoming plans for HomePlug AV support.

Asoka proudly announced their PlugLink Internal Power Supply, a CES 2005 Innovation of the Year Winner, which allows instant networking of desktop PCs by simply using the same cable normally used to power up the machine. This is part of a new wave of products that embed HomePlug technology directly inside new products.

“Asoka's goal is to make home networking seamless and transparent for the average user. Asoka is honored to receive such a prestigious award," said Elsa Chan, Asoka's Director of Business Development.

New products incorporating HomePlug 1.0 technology included security video cameras from Gigafast, VoIP applications from Corinex, and audio devices-including speakers-from ST&T, with HomePlug technology built-in.

HomePlug BPL: Bringing digital services to the home
News regarding HomePlug BPL, the alliance’s to-the-home specification, continued with the selection of its baseline technology. The HomePlug alliance is also the first organization to deliver a scheme for interoperable standards for both in-the-home and to-the-home powerline technologies.

As an example of interoperability, Current Technologies used HomePlug’s booth to showcase their system, which is one of the first commercial deployments of powerline technologies delivered to homes. In partnership with Cinergy, Current is providing a bundle of broadband and voice services to Cinergy's 1.5 million customers in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. Current's system only requires customers to have a readily available HomePlug adapter at the customer premises.

Interoperable Standards: Enabling the Promise of Digital Services
It’s safe to say that Powerline Communications technologies were center-stage at CES, confirming that highspeed powerline communications has truly come of age.

Interoperable powerline communications standards enable a whole new market segment — the delivery of services throughout a home from utility companies and service providers. Interoperability, which is the goal of all of the alliance’s standards-building efforts, delivers on this goal; mere “co-existence schemes” cannot make this claim.

To bring clarity to the goals of the alliance, an event for analysts and members of the media was held where the alliance’s Board of Directors addressed particular topics and answered questions. There was great excitement about the promises of HomePlug AV, and the future of digital homes and the services that support them. You can view the presentation here.


Oleg Logvinov HomePlug President Arkados	Larry Yonge Chair Technical WG Intellon	Charlie Harris HomePlug BoD Intellon

Pete Griffin HomePlug Chairman Radio Shack	Steve Howe HomePlug BoD Earthlink	Peter Kempf HomePlug BoD Conexant

During the presentation, Pete Griffin, Chairman of the alliance from HomePlug-member company Radio Shack, addressed the crowd by reminding them that they are witnessing the beginning of something very big: Powerline communications technology has the possibility to change the world.

Since the year 2000, the HomePlug Powerline Alliance, has worked with a variety of companies and organizations worldwide to lay the groundwork for this new service-driven marketplace. We expect to continue the rapid progress as HomePlug AV and HomePlug BPL continue development.

CES was the place to be!
The 2005 International Consumer Electronics Show will be recognized as the year that HomePlug-certified products began delivering on the dream of the service-driven digital home. HomePlug 1.0 and HomePlug AV specifications have demonstrated the ease-of use to bring innovative products to the marketplace, and continue to be entrenched in the marketplace. HomePlug BPL offers the interoperability to allow new types of digital services to be delivered from utility companies and service providers.

Stay tuned for more great news from the HomePlug Powerline Alliance!

RECENT NEWS FROM HOMEPLUG MEMBERS • HomePlug Powerline Alliance announces new Participant members: EchoStar, Leviton Manufacturing and Duke Power

• CableLabs specifies HomePlug requirement in new CableHome Residential Gateway R

• Asoka and BellSouth team up to Provide HomePlug-certified products and solutions, and should be available in Stores Soon

• Gigafast announces tiny HomePlug security video cameras and camera servers

• NetGear announces Wall-plugged kits to extend the range of 802.11g wireless through power lines

• TII Network Technologies Inc teams with Intellon to introduce the First HomePlug Embedded Surge Protector

• Arkados Inc. announces the ArkTIC family of solutions for the digital home

• Intellon’s HomePlug-compliant chips were selected for video surveillance cameras produced by LukWerks

• Corinex Communications Launches the Industry’s First 802.11G Wireless Turbo to Powerline Router

• Asoka wins CES Innovations award for first PC designed with HomePlug technology built in

• Sharp and Intellon demonstrate HDTV over power lines using HomePlug AV prototype

• Echostar offers a sneak peek of distributed music players, which will use Homeplug networking to receive music piped from a Dish receiver using any of the music channels available on Dish Network, including the Sirius music channels.

• BridgeCo Media Network Processors work with HomePlug networking to bring Audio and Video to the Living Room

• Asoka and Intellon launch powerline network solutions for the digital home

• Samsung, Freescale and Intellon Demonstrate Distribution of Multi-Stream High-Definition Content Via HomePlug Powerline and Ultra-Wideband Networks

Special Thanks to HomePlug-member companies Arkados, Asoka, Conexant, Corinex. Gigafast, Intellon, Spidcom, and ST&T. Special thanks to Roberta Boucher, Tonya Hawes, Rob Ranck, and others of Global Inventures.

About the HomePlug Powerline Alliance
The HomePlug Powerline Alliance, Inc. is an industry-led initiative established to create specifications for home powerline networking products and services and to accelerate the demand for these products and services worldwide through the sponsorship of market and user education programs. Currently, the Alliance is comprised of about 50 industry-leading companies. HomePlug Sponsor companies include Arkados, Inc. a subsidiary of CDKNet.com, Inc. (OTC BB:CDKN), Cogency Semiconductor, Comcast (CMCSK), Conexant (CNXT), DS2, EarthLink (ELNK), Intellon, RadioShack (RSH), and Sharp (SHCPFM). Additional information about the Alliance including a complete listing of certified products is available at http://www.homeplug.org.

HomePlug Powerline Alliance, Inc.
2400 Camino Ramon
Suite 375
San Ramon, CA 94583

Phone: 1.925.275.6630
Fax: 1.925.886.3614

Email: help@homeplug.org

HomePlug is a registered trademark of the HomePlug Powerline Alliance, Inc.
All other trademarks, trade names and service marks mentioned and/or used belong to their respective owners.