UPnP Forum’s efforts in promoting device interconnectivity standards help UPnP grow

Beaverton, Ore, USA – 10 May 2012: The proliferation of personal computers and home networks, along with UPnP Forum’s ongoing efforts in device standardization and certification, is leading to a surge in growth of the adoption of UPnP technology. UPnP Forum is now seeing record levels of activity in its certification program, with over 1,000 device implementations now certified as compliant with UPnP standards.

Standardization is at the forefront of the technology adoption and is demonstrated by 30 additional UPnP standards attaining worldwide recognition from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). The UPnP Device Architecture Version 1.1 and an additional 21 UPnP Device Control Protocol specifications were newly adopted and published by the ISO and IEC as International Standards in fall 2011. Eight specifications were also published as updates to previously published ISO/IEC International Standards.

With a long history of successful collaborations with other standards organizations, UPnP Forum is an approved ISO/IEC JTC 1 (Joint Technical Committee 1) PAS (Publicly Available Specification) submitter, and has previously submitted 72 specifications for PAS transposition, published by the ISO and IEC in 2008.

Dr. Alan Messer, UPnP Forum President and Chairman, said: “Global standardization fuels the adoption of UPnP technology and emphasizes how the industry is continuing to react to market demand for the interoperability of all networked devices. This is highlighted by the fact that we are seeing tremendous growth in home networking, be they consumer electronic AV devices, internet gateway devices, computers, or home automation devices.”

Testing and validating UPnP interactions between devices is also a crucial growth area for the UPnP ecosystem, particularly as it becomes more vigorous, as exemplified by the growing features of UPnP Forum’s UPnP Certification Test Tool (UCTT 2.0). Purpose-built from scratch UCTT 2.0 is rigorous and has already been adopted by the DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) for DLNA control point pre-certification.

Architected for device certification, UPnP Forum’s UCTT 2.0 is able to certify both UPnP devices and control points in one tool, supporting deeper test penetration and leading to more credible results.

Nidhish Parikh, Chairman and President of DLNA, added: “UPnP Forum’s more accurate testing, combined with the advancing capabilities of the UCTT2.0 certification tool, sets the stage for further UPnP technology growth. As new consumer technologies become available, DLNA expects to continue leveraging UPnP certification to help overcome the challenges of digital compatibility.”

“The compliancy level and developed ergonomics of our UCTT 2.0 test tool provides confidence in the certification process and subsequently strengthens assurance in UPnP technology as a whole,” concludes Dr. Messer.

UPnP Forum expects future additions and updates to UPnP specifications to meet market needs. To search the ISO Catalogue for the outlined specifications (ISO/IEC 29341-x), please visit http://www.iso.org/iso/store.htm. These documents are also available on the IEC website at http://webstore.iec.ch/.

For further information about UPnP Forum please go to www.upnp.org. Alternatively, if you have any general questions please email [email protected]