Additional Related News Items: BROADBAND Sector

Here we present a selection of related news items that are of interest to our subscribers. These are presented with minimal to no editorial treatment by us. They are intended to keep our subscribers informed of related developments, but are not stored at our site as are the regular articles developed by our editorial team. We invite your comments/suggestions about the content in this section at info@vtechlink.com.

• Universal Electronics Unveils NevoSL for the Networked Home
• Cox and Verizon Join Multimedia over Coax Alliance
• Wired Homes Are Still a Dream For Many
• The State Of Consumer Technology Adoption

Universal Electronics Unveils NevoSL for the Networked Home

Universal Electronics has announced the commercial availability of NevoSL, a universal controller that intuitively delivers complete audio/visual and digital media control for the networked home. With NevoSL, consumers have a single control point to control virtually all their home theater and stereo equipment while bridging the gap between digital content stored on the PC. Consumers can play and interact with virtually any song, digital picture or movie, in any room on nearly any device from the palm of their hand.

NevoSL will be offered through the custom electronics professional channel, which according to Parks Associates is projected to grow to $8.3 billion in 2005. Featuring UEI's world-class infrared [IR] code database for device control and upgradeability, NevoSL is guaranteed to be compatible with virtually any manufacturer's consumer electronics products. With built-in Wi-Fi, NevoSL further extends the multimedia experience in the networked home by providing wireless access and control of digital photos, songs and movies throughout the home network. With unique features and functions covered by 16 issued and pending patents to date, NevoSL and its companion NevoStudio customization software represent nearly two decades worth of UEI technology directed to control solutions for the networked home.

NevoSL and the NevoLink accessory are now available through the worldwide custom electronics professional channel. The products are available in over 14 countries worldwide including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Netherlands, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Finland, Switzerland, France, Spain, Portugal, Norway and Italy. In the United States, AVAD will distribute NevoSL.

Universal Electronics Inc., based in Southern California, develops firmware and turnkey solutions as well as software designed to enable consumers to wirelessly connect, control and interact with an increasingly complex home environment. The company's primary markets include original equipment manufacturers [OEMs] in consumer electronics and personal computing, as well as multiple system operators in the cable and satellite subscription broadcasting markets. Over the past 18 years, the company has developed a broad portfolio of patented technologies and the industry's leading database of home connectivity software that it licenses to its customers, including many leading Fortune 500 companies. In addition, UEI sells its universal wireless control products and other audio/visual accessories through its European headquarters in The Netherlands, and to distributors and retailers in Europe, Asia, Latin America, South Africa and Australia/New Zealand under the One For All brand name.

Cox and Verizon Join Multimedia over Coax Alliance

Multimedia over Coax Alliance [MoCA] has announced the addition of Cox and Verizon as new members. The two service providers will join MoCA's Board of Directors. The addition of Verizon and Cox builds on MoCA's momentum with digital entertainment and broadband service providers. MoCA now stands alone as the only home networking alliance to include Tier 1 members from each of the key digital entertainment service providers -- cable, satellite, and telecom, as well as leading networking equipment and consumer electronics manufacturers and retailers. This across-the-board recognition affirms the broad support of MoCA as the leading technology for the backbone of the home digital entertainment network.  

By tapping into the unused bandwidth available on coaxial cables installed within homes, MoCA's technology delivers HD and DVD quality digital entertainment and high-speed data throughout the home without glitches or freezes. MoCA recently completed large-scale field trials that showed that its technology consistently delivered at least 100 Mbps of usable throughput under real-world conditions throughout the home.

MoCA was founded in 2004 by Comcast, EchoStar, Entropic Communications, Linksys, a division of Cisco, Motorola, Panasonic, Radio Shack and Toshiba.

The Multimedia over Coax Alliance was formed to provide the solution for home networking digital entertainment without compromise. The mission of the alliance is to develop industry specifications and interoperability certification for delivering high bandwidth digital content over in-home coaxial cables.

Cox Communications Inc., a Fortune 500 company, is a multi-service broadband communications company with approximately 6.7 million total customers, including approximately 6.3 million basic cable subscribers. The nation's third-largest cable television provider, Cox offers analog cable television under the Cox Cable brand as well as digital video service under the Cox Digital Cable brand, featuring advanced services including digital video recording, high-definition television and video-on-demand. Cox provides an array of other communications services including local and long-distance telephone under the Cox Digital Telephone brand, high-speed Internet service under the Cox High Speed Internet brand, and home networking. Commercial voice and data services are offered via Cox Business Services. Local cable advertising, promotional opportunities and production services are sold under the Cox Media brand. Cox is an investor in programming services including Discovery Communications Inc. Cox Communications is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises.

With more than $71 billion in annual revenues, Verizon Communications Inc. [NYSE:VZ] is one of the world's leading providers of communications services. Verizon has a diverse work force of more than 214,000 in four business units: Domestic Telecom provides customers based in 28 states with wireline and other telecommunications services, including broadband. Verizon Wireless owns and operates the nation's most reliable wireless network, serving 47.4 million voice and data customers across the United States. Information Services operates directory publishing businesses and provides electronic commerce services. International includes wireline and wireless operations and investments, primarily in the Americas and Europe.

Wired Homes Are Still a Dream For Many

According to the Copper Development Association, many new homes continue to be built with inadequate communications wiring for computers, entertainment systems and other forms of sophisticated home electronics. According to John Cowie, who tracks telecommunications applications for CDA, a revised minimum standard for residential communications wiring was enacted by the Federal Communications Commission in 2000, but many builders remain poorly informed about the ruling or have little understanding of what it means.

Conceived by the FCC in the 1990s, the minimum standard governing inside broadband wiring is not very high-tech, because it was based on 10-year-old technology. There is a simple remedy for this, however. At little additional cost to builders, high-performance copper communications wiring known as Category 5e can -- and should -- be installed in new homes.

According to Cowie, the following simple guide can be useful in making an initial evaluation.  

A = Excellent
This home exceeds expectations. Two Category 5e structured wiring ports -- one for telephone and one for data -- are teamed with two RG-6 coaxial cable ports for two-way video signals and are available at two different locations in virtually every room. A central distribution device [CDD] provides connectivity between rooms and with the outside world, simplifying network management. Wiring is installed in a star configuration, meaning that each outlet is wired directly back to the CDD. This home might also have a sophisticated home entertainment center and may be wired for whole-house audio with speaker wires extending to key listening areas in the home.  

B = Good
Two Category 5e and two RG-6 ports are star-wired to at least one location in all key rooms, including bedrooms. Additional wiring has been installed behind walls for future use. Outlets may be installed later, as needed by the homeowner. Entertainment, security and energy-management features may also be present.  

C = Average Category
5e and RG-6 outlets are provided in two or three key rooms, also using a star configuration. This wiring is fairly typical of what is promoted as "structured wiring" in new homes today. The homeowner may find it limiting or inflexible in terms of entertainment features, or for sending broadband to children's bedrooms or study areas, or adding home automation and security cameras.  

D = Minimum standard
This house barely meets FCC requirements for wiring, which is adequate mainly for telephone lines. Not exactly the "dream home" tech-smart people are looking for today -- or will need tomorrow.  

F = Failure
In this case, the house does not meet even the minimum FCC standard. Even if the builder used the right wires, check out the installation -- daisy chaining [wiring sequentially from outlet to outlet] does not get a passing grade. As far as up-to-date technology goes, this home is a lemon! It is the responsibility of the builder and installer to bring the home up to the FCC minimum standard.  

One of the biggest reasons for buying a brand new home is to benefit from the latest home technology. There is no reason to accept a new home that does not merit a grade of "B" or better when it comes to communications wiring.  

For more information about the FCC ruling and high-performance communications wiring, see www.copper.org/telecom. The Copper Development Association is the information, education, market and technical development arm of the copper, brass and bronze industries in the USA.  

The State Of Consumer Technology Adoption

In the largest, longest-running survey of its kind, Forrester Research asked more than 68,000 North American households how they think about, adopt, and use technology. The resulting report, "The State Of Consumers And Technology: Benchmark 2005," combined with data from seven previous years, provides a comprehensive view of technology's role in consumers' lives.

With more than 600 data points and 347 consumer brands across 12 industries, the study shows that the adoption of consumer electronics and Internet access will continue to see significant growth through the end of the decade. By 2010, 62 percent of US households will have broadband access to the Internet, 53 percent will own a laptop, and 37 percent will use a digital video recorder [DVR] to gain control over how and when they watch TV. Forrester's methodology reveals that consumers' attitudes toward technology -- are they optimistic or pessimist? -- determine much about how they incorporate technology into their daily lives.  

The report includes data in categories like devices, media, telecommunications, retail, finance, healthcare, and government. Sample data points include:  

Device, Broadband, And Home Network Adoption

 -- Twenty-nine percent of North American households connected to the Internet using broadband connections in 2004, up from 19 percent in 2003.

-- Broadband access will more than double this decade, reaching 71 million US households in 2010. This growth will be spurred by providers like SBC and Comcast targeting tech pessimists with lower prices, better in-home support, and a clearer statement of benefits.

 -- Only 8.8 percent of US households have a home network today, dominated by households with multiple PCs and broadband access to the Internet. Benefits like surfing the Internet while watching TV, shopping in the kitchen, and listening to digital music in the living room will drive home networking adoption to 46.5 million households by 2010. -

- Last year MP3 player adoption more than doubled to 10.8 million of US households; 15 million US households bought digital cameras; and 8 million households purchased laptops.

Media Consumption And Online Behavior

-- Today, only six percent of online consumers read blogs and two percent use RSS, while 70 percent of online consumers use the Internet to research products for purchase. Marketers should focus on identifying the early adopting tech optimists who read blogs to tap effective viral marketing opportunities.

-- Households with a laptop and home network watch TV 3 hours less per week and read the paper an hour less per week than offline households do.

Banking And Shopping

-- In the past three months, 43 percent of US online households banked online, 41 percent checked their account balances online, and 24 percent transferred balances online.

-- In 2004, 39.5 million US households shopped online

-- 3.5 million more than in 2003. Broadband, laptop, and home networking adoption will help drive online research and purchasing to more than 55 million households by 2010.

"The State Of Consumers And Technology: Benchmark 2005," Forrester's annual Consumer Technographics 2005 North American Benchmark Study, is a survey of 68,664 North American households.

Forrester Research [Nasdaq: FORR] is an independent technology and market research company that provides pragmatic and forward-thinking advice about technology's impact on business and consumers. For 22 years, Forrester has been a thought leader and trusted advisor, helping global clients lead in their markets through its research, consulting, and peer-to-peer executive programs.

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