Intel Software To Make Linux-Based Internet Access And Home Networking Devices Easier To Use

Software to Add Universal Plug and Play Capabilities to Linux Operating System Via "Open Source" License

REDMOND, Wash., June 15, 2000 - Intel Corporation announced today that it will make available to hardware and software developers worldwide the software needed to make Linux-based devices, such as Internet appliances, residential gateways and home networking products, significantly easier to install and use. The software, developed by the Intel Architecture Labs, gives vendors the capability to add ease of use features to their products based on the Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) specification. UPnP is an industry specification that allows networked devices to automatically identify and configure themselves for instant communication with each other or the Internet, while hiding the complexities of setup from the users.

The software, called Intel® Universal Plug and Play Software Development Kit V1.0 for Linux, offers hardware and software developers a fast, very cost-effective way to integrate UPnP features into their Linux-based products, via a royalty-free open source license.

"We've made great strides in making computer and networking products easier to use, but as new devices emerge, it is more important than ever to make them even easier to use so the mainstream, non-technical user will have a satisfying experience," said Kevin Kahn, Intel Fellow and director of Communications Architecture at the Intel Architecture Labs. "With our new software, developers using the Linux operating system can quickly add all the capabilities of UPnP to their products."

The Universal Plug and Play specification is both operating system and programming language-independent and is based on existing, open Internet standards like XML, HTTP and others. Developers are quickly establishing UPnP support as a 'must-have' feature of PCs, Internet access and home networking products in order to meet the ease-of-use expectations of their customers. UPnP brings simple, flexible, standards-based connectivity to networks in the home and in businesses and delivers the benefit of easy device and service connectivity, requiring no user intervention for network configuration, setup or maintenance.

Universal Plug and Play Industry Enabling
The Universal Plug and Play Software Development Kit for Linux is one of several benefits that Intel will offer developers this year to speed up UPnP product readiness. In August, Intel will offer a UPnP Implementers Workshop at the Intel Developer Forum Conference, which will focus on giving developers the skills they need to add UPnP capabilities to their products (www.intel.com/design/idf/). Various companies will also be showcasing their products and development tools in the UPnP Pavilion at the conference. In September, Intel will host the first UPnP Interoperability Plugfest in Hillsboro, Ore. This venue will allow all interested developers to test their prototypes for UPnP interoperability.

How the Software Works
The Intel Universal Plug and Play Software Development Kit for Linux provides a comprehensive Application Programming Interface (API) and Linux source code for developers to implement UPnP-compliant Control Points and Devices. The API hides the details of the UPnP mechanics and helps vendors to rapidly make their products UPnP compliant. The UPnP Software Development Kit will be implemented and tested on the Linux operating system and will interoperate with UPnP implementations on Windows ME*. The kit, which is compliant with version 1.0 of the UPnP specification, will include header files, commented source code, documentation, and an open source software license.

Developers should sign up on the Web at www.intel.com/ial/upnp to receive notification of the UPnP Software Development Kit availability, which is expected later this summer. Developers who use commercial Linux distributions can also expect to see UPnP support in some of these distributions by the end of 2000.

For more information about the Universal Plug and Play Forum, visit www.upnp.org

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