Dear UIC Member,

Sitting down to write this introduction, I looked back and realized how much we've accomplished in the past year - we exhibited at numerous major industry events, including CES, IDF and WinHEC. We've partnered with other events to build awareness of the UPnPTM logo and technology such as April's Connected Home Show and last year's Net-atHome show and will appear at this September's Connected Home Forum. The certification logo has also been approved for registration in the United States and other countries, and we have successfully defended our registration against a number of similar logos.

Forum membership and the number of UPnPTM certified devices continue to grow. At last count, the UPnP Forum had more than 690 members and the UIC had 34 members. The number of UPnP certified devices has expanded to more than 70, and now includes AV and multimedia devices. Recently, in order to simplify the certification process, we eliminated the $2,000 device registration fee for all new device certifications. This means you can now certify as many products as you want under the annual $5,000 UIC membership fee.

UPnPTM technology has made a mark in the media, too. We have appeared in PC World, PC Magazine, Network World Fusion, NetGear, and even the Arizona Republic. There are also a number of other organizations that are referencing UPnP technology, including the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) (formerly the Digital Home Working Group) and CableLabs . Word is getting out!

The UIC has expanded its reach via UPnP Summit events. Last year, we held two summits, including our first ever in Europe, and we have three this year, including two in Asia.

The UIC and UPnPTM Forum are committed to making the connected home experience simple and reliable for consumers. Their faith is shown in the millions of UPnP compliant products that have shipped over the past two years. And the market, as well as the UPnP Forum and UIC, are only getting bigger and better.

Best regards,
   Karen Stash, President, UPnP Implementers Corporation

To simplify the certification process, the UIC recently eliminated the $2,000 USD device registration fee for all new device certifications. You can now certify as many products as you wish and they will all be covered by your annual UIC membership fee.

Please visit the UIC Certification page to learn how you can certify your products in five steps.

The number of UPnP standards continues to grow. For your convenience, you can now download one file that includes the UPnP Device Architecture, referenced specifications, implementation guide, device and service description templates, checklists and samples, and the standardized DCPs

Please visit the UPnP Resources page on the UPnP Forum website to access the 12.1 MB Zip file.

Last year, the UIC introduced a new member benefit -- "Test Tool Help." All member companies are entitled to one free support call (per year) to Microsoft® Product Support Services (PSS) for assistance with the UPnP^TM Certification Test Tool.

To learn more please login to the members area of the UIC web site (http://www.upnp-ic.org).

March 30, 2004 -- Nokia and Matsushita Electric (Panasonic) Join UPnP^TM Forum Steering Committee

January 7, 2004 -- Microsoft Announces Windows Media Connect Technology, Enabling Seamless Media Transfer Between Windows XP-Based PCs and Consumer Electronics Devices

If you have a press release or article regarding UIC or UPnP technology and would like it posted to the UIC News web page, please send it to UIC Executive Director Rob Ranck for consideration.

In this section you'll find information about UIC sponsored events, as well as industry events of interest to UIC and UPnP Forum members:

Mark your calendars for the 2004 UPnPTM Summits!.  This year's Summits will be held:

October 13-14, 2004 in Mountain View, California, U.S.A.
October 21, 2004 in Shanghai, China (in conjunction with LonWorld Expo)
October 27, 2004 in Taipei, Taiwan (in conjunction with Intel Developer Forum)

Additional information and event registration will be posted to the UIC web site soon.

The UPnP Summits will highlight the ongoing progress in the development and certification of UPnPTM devices. Attendees will learn the steps to develop, design and certify UPnP devices, and the Summits will include technical tracks discussing UPnP development tools and products, as well as the current status and individual companies vision for the future. There will also be marketing tracks that highlight UPnP business opportunities and growing momentum around UPnP products today.

The Connected Home Forum
16-17 September 2004
London, UK

The Connected Home Forum is a practical, intensely discussion-based event to drive forward the debate on how to deliver the connected home dream. This event will provide the industry with the definitive forum to actively discuss the key issues of the day, meet, network, and do deals. UIC is a sponsor of this event.

Net-atHome 2004
December 1 - 2, 2004
Nice, France

Net-atHome^TM 2004 is the 7th edition of the event, targeting organizations and industry associations already active in the field of Home Networks and Gateways, Connected Appliances and Integrated Services, or interested in penetrating European or worldwide markets in this field. UIC is a sponsor of this event.

If you have a comment or question about this UIC newsletter or would like to suggest a topic for future UIC newsletters, please e-mail UIC Executive Director.  We welcome all input from our readers.

  Rob Ranck, Executive director, UPnP Implementers Corporation
  ..............................................................
  Global Inventures, Inc.
  email:  rranck@inventures.com
  tel: 503-521-1056 Oregon
  mobile: 503-250-0614