INTEL DEVELOPER FORUM, San Francisco, Feb. 17, 2004 – Intel Corporation today announced test tools that will help developers create digital home products that interoperate − or work together − in the home.

"In Intel’s vision of the digital home, consumers will be able to enjoy content anywhere, anytime and on any device. Seamless interoperability among PCs, consumer electronics devices, and content applications and services is critical to delivering on the consumer experience," said Kevin Corbett, vice president and chief technology officer, Intel’s Desktop Platforms Group. "The availability of these new tools and solutions will accelerate the availability of interoperable products in 2004."

Intel also announced the first building block products validated for the Intel® Networked Media Product Requirements (Intel® NMPR). Intel NMPR is a set of development guidelines for use in building digital home products that define common usage models and an interoperability framework delivering the best experience in connecting devices to Intel-based platforms. The Intel NMPR-validated middleware solutions available from BridgeCo*, icube*, Mediabolic* and Oregan Networks* will enable device manufacturers to deliver interoperable consumer products in the coming months. Intel’s own software code has been Intel NMPR-validated and is currently used in PC manufacturer Lenovo’s recently announced digital media adapter.

Intel and other companies used the newly released Intel NMPR validation test tools to fully test products for interoperability. These validation test tools complement a comprehensive suite of development tools and reference code that Intel released last year at IDF. Intel NMPR-validated products and those under development are included in a new Solutions Catalog, an online listing of products. Intel’s tools and the Solutions Catalog can be found on the Intel Developer Network for the digital home at http://developer.intel.com/technology/dhdevnet/.

In order to enable a great consumer experience with connected devices, there must be exciting content applications and services. Intel has been working with content and service companies to extend their services beyond the PC to other devices around the home. Intel is developing a digital home content program and guidelines to help software vendors and content providers so that consumers will be able to move content between Intel NMPR-connected devices.

Intel’s content enabling efforts have resulted in other key announcements, namely development support for RealNetworks’ award-winning Rhapsody Internet* jukebox service, which is now available on multiple Universal Plug-n-Play (UPnP)* technology-based digital media adapters. Intel is working with America Online, Inc. to extend access to the leading Internet broadcast service, Radio@AOL*, beyond the PC to UPnP enabled devices. Intel developed and licensed the UPnP technology-based code to AOL to accelerate the availability of Radio@AOL on networked devices in the digital home.