Echelon Corporation Takes Leadership Role in Microsoft's Universal Plug and Play Forum Echelon Appointed to Steering Committee
PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 2, 1999--Echelon Corporation (Nasdaq:ELON - news) today announced
that it has accepted Microsoft Corp.'s (Nasdaq:MSFT - news) invitation to serve on the Universal Plug and Play (UPnP)
Forum's Steering Committee.
The Steering Committee acts as the leadership body within the forum, setting the agenda, technology focus, and guiding
principles for the organization. The UPnP Forum was established in June 1999 to drive the emergence of a new generation of
easily networked devices built on open Internet-based standards and protocols. Other members of the Steering Committee
include UPnP Forum founder Microsoft along with Axis Communications, Compaq Computer, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intel,
Mitsubishi, Panja, Siemens, Thomson, and Philips.
Echelon brings to the UPnP Forum thousands of device and system manufacturers that are deploying a rapidly growing installed
base of smart, networked devices based on Echelon's LONWORKS® system -- everyday devices such as refrigerators,
washing machines, electric meters, light switches, electrical outlets, motion sensors, thermostats, and security alarms, to name a
few. As demonstrated this past April at Microsoft's Windows Hardware Engineering Conference, all of these everyday devices
can effortlessly connect and provide their services to other UPnP enabled products using Echelon's LNS(TM) network
operating system and Echelon's LNS Universal Plug and Play proxy.
''When it comes to simply connecting everyday devices in homes, buildings and other systems to the Internet, Echelon is clearly
a leader in providing solutions today,'' said Shawn Sanford, Group Product Manager of the Consumer Windows Division,
Microsoft Corp. ''We are very pleased that Echelon has joined us on the UPnP Steering Committee. It brings a wealth of
real-world experience that will help the Forum achieve its goals.''
''Echelon shares the UPnP Forum's vision of a networked world where all types of computers and everyday devices work
together as peers, in easily configurable networks, to provide enhanced services and new applications,'' said Reza Raji,
Echelon's director of business development and designated representative to the UPnP Steering Committee. ''Echelon is eager
to join with other industry leaders to accelerate the move to a world where everything is connected.''
First introduced by Microsoft in early 1999, UPnP is a cross-industry effort to define a set of common interfaces that describe
devices and services, allow automatic discovery when a device is plugged into a network, and allow other devices and people
to use them without complicated setup or configuration. UPnP is a key element in Microsoft's standards-based vision of simple
networking, where easy-to-configure intelligent appliances, networked peripherals, PCs and the services they provide become
peers on networks in homes and businesses. UPnP allows a broad range of intelligent consumer appliances and PCs to easily
connect as peers and share resources within the home.
The next meeting of the UPnP Forum will take place on November 2 and 3 in Redmond, Washington.
About Echelon Corporation
Echelon Corporation is the developer of LONWORKS networks, recognized internationally as a standard for open,
interoperable control networks. With thousands of application developers and millions of devices installed worldwide,
LONWORKS is a leading open, networked solution for networking everyday devices in buildings, homes, factories,
transportation systems, utilities, and other applications. Echelon offers a full range of off-the-shelf hardware and software
products to support the development, installation and management of intelligent, open and interoperable control networks.
Products that have been verified to conform to Echelon's LONMARK® interoperability guidelines are eligible to carry the
LONMARK logo, an indicator that a product has been designed to interoperate over a LonWorks network.
Echelon is based in Palo Alto, California, with international offices in China, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, The Netherlands,
and the United Kingdom. Further information about Echelon can be found at echelon.com. Further information
about the LONMARK Interoperability Association can be found at lonmark.org.
Echelon, LONWORKS, LONMARK, the LONMARK logo, and the Echelon logo are registered trademarks of Echelon
Corporation registered in the U.S. and other countries. LNS is a trademark of Echelon Corporation. Other marks belong to
their respective holders. |
