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UPnP Forum and UPnP Implementers Corporation Launch Standard for Remote User Interfaces (1/11/2004)

New UPnP(TM) technology enables standardization of advanced remote controls for a wide variety of products

The UPnP Implementers Corporation announced today that its device certification program now includes support for new functionality for UPnP enabled products. The Remote User Interface (UI) standard will allow users to control a variety of products via wireless or wired networks.

"The Remote UI (RUI) standard delivers a key piece of UPnP technology functionality that allows a server to deliver a user interface application to a remote client for display and user interaction," said Toby Nixon, chair of the UPnP Forum Steering Committee. "For example, using the RUI standard, the user interface for a home security, lighting or climate control system running on a PC or a dedicated box could be discovered, connected to and utilized on a Remote UI client connected to (or imbedded in) a television set. A mobile phone or a cordless handset could discover and connect to the programming interface for a digital video recorder (DVR) or settop box. Similar kinds of uses for a multitude of other types of RUI client display devices will be enabled."

Like all UPnP standards, the Remote UI Device Class Protocol (DCP) standard was developed by members of the UPnP Forum and ratified by a vote of the UPnP Forum Steering Committee. Remote UI is the 10th group of DCP standards released by the UPnP Forum. The first UPnP standard DCP was released in September 2001. Since that time, the list of standards has grown to include most aspects of the connected-home experience.

While there is generally a lead-time between release of a UPnP standard and the availability of enabled products to customers, Intel announced plans during the Fall 2004 Intel Developer Forum to enable the development of new products and services utilizing the UPnP Remote UI standard as described in the Intel(R) Networked Media Product Requirements Version 2.0 (Intel(R) NMPR v2.0 guidelines beginning in Q1 2005.

www.upnp.org