News

Procter & Gamble Joins Internet Home Alliance Board of Directors; Other New Members are Taubman Centers, Spitfire Controls and Direct Energy (2/8/2004)

Internet Home Alliance, a cross-industry network of leading companies advancing the home technology market, announced today the addition of several new members: Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG), which manufactures and markets consumer products in various countries throughout the world; Taubman Centers Inc. (NYSE:TCO), a real estate investment trust that owns and/or manages 31 urban and suburban regional and super regional shopping centers in 13 states; Spitfire Controls, an appliance industry technology solutions provider; and Direct Energy, one of the largest multi-state providers of deregulated retail energy services in North America.

Procter & Gamble, which has joined the Alliance as a Principal member, has been named to the board of directors.

These new members join a stellar roster of firms -- including Cisco Systems Inc., General Motors, Hewlett-Packard Company, IBM, Invensys, Microsoft, Panasonic (Matsushita Electric Corporation of America), SBC Communications, Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Whirlpool Corporation -- that are working together within the Alliance to accelerate adoption of technologies that require a broadband or persistent Internet connection.

"At P&G, we are -- and have always been -- interested in understanding consumers and how our products can help make life better for them. Because our products are typically used in the home, as the digital home becomes a reality, we want to comprehend fully how those changes will affect consumer purchase and use patterns," said Orly Cocco, Future Home Lab Director, Procter & Gamble. "We joined Internet Home Alliance because it is the only organization today that is focused fully on bringing disparate companies together to search for answers to tough questions in this space and to accelerate the development of the home technology market."

"We are delighted to welcome these great and diverse companies into the Alliance," said Kristine Stewart, president, Internet Home Alliance, and director of market development, Worldwide Commercial Marketing, Cisco. "We are particularly pleased to have Procter & Gamble joining at the board level. Their participation and perspectives will greatly enhance the networking and collaboration opportunities that exist within the Alliance and provide our members with new and valuable insights into the connected home market."

In addition to the four new members, Cushcraft, the global leader in the design, development and manufacture of enhanced antenna solutions, has upgraded its membership status from Associate to Contributor.

www.internethomealliance.com