1. What is OSGi?

The Open Services Gateway Initiative (OSGi), established in 1999, is an independent, non-profit corporation working to define and promote open specifications for the delivery of managed broadband services to networks in homes, cars and other environments. OSGi also works to proliferate these open specifications through the sponsorship of technology, market, and user education programs. The San Ramon, California, USA-based organization comprises more than 70 member organizations from around the globe. Membership is open to any interested party, including Internet Service Providers, Network Operators, Original Equipment Manufacturers, Independent Software Vendors, end users, academic institutions, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. The consortium's Web site address is http://www.osgi.org .

2. Can you give me a brief update on the new Specification 2.0?

OSGi Service Platform Release 2 builds on Service Gateway 1, a specification OSGi released in 2000 to provide an open, common architecture for service providers, network operators, developers, gateway and equipment vendors, and software vendors to develop, deploy and manage services in a coordinated fashion. The new release provides for seamless service delivery of existing telephony, data networking and entertainment services with improved security, while enabling a set of value-added services such as energy management, telematics, and home monitoring and automation.

Public availability of the released was announced on October 2, 2001. Several OSGi member companies are already offering developing kits designed to be compatible with OSGi Service Platform Release 2. A copy of the specification and an overview of the specification can be found on the OSGi web site: http://www.osgi.org .

3. How long will it be before we see the concept of smart, connected homes, small businesses off the drawing board and into the marketplace?

There are already examples of smart, connected homes, and small businesses existing today. Many of these examples have been created by forward thinking companies and organizations as a model of what is or will be available to consumers. There are also several examples of planned communities (e.g., Playa Vista, CA http://www.playavista.com/community/technology.htm , Sundance Digital Housing Community, Renton, WA http://www.vicinium.com/News-and-pr/near_seattle_serves.htm ) and concept homes (Philips, Cisco, Invensys).

However, most of these projects are custom jobs that do not have the benefit of a home gateway using the OSGi service platform. We expect to start seeing commercial availability of home gateways incorporating the OSGi service platform this year with increased deployment by network operators in 2002-2003. When home gateways incorporating the OSGi service platform start to emerge, there will be a number of consumer electronics and service development companies ready!

4. What standards are required for the market to take off?

We think that the OSGi service platform release 2 will be a major factor to grow the market. We also realize that there needs to be good standards to allow differentiated bandwidth service over the Internet and the last mile network operator (e.g., DOCSIS) and clear leadership standards for in-home networking. Consumers may be a little reluctant to pick something now when HomeRF, 802.11a, 802.11b, HomePlug, HomePNA, HomeCNA, Cat-5 and other networking products are all saying they are the ultimate solution for the home network. Mass market consumer acceptance will occur when there are clearly defined solutions that they desire from a variety of manufacturers so they can select the one they like. Having to know what type of network is required will be one of the last things they want to consider before making a purchase.

The OSGi service platform will allow products that use different networking methods to all be part of the consumer solution as long as the home gateway supports multiple network interfaces. OSGi service bundles can use the power of the device access model in OSGi to isolate the home network interface from the final application device selection. By removing the decision of which home networking standard to use for a service/application, we believe that OSGi is truly the key to the puzzle for this market.

5. Who will most likely deliver services to the home via the gateway?

Initially, Telco and Cable operators who want to increase the value of the broadband connection into the home or automobile manufacturers who want to provide a rich information/entertainment environment. Also, companies who provide remote monitoring of a local environment (home, office or vehicle) or wish to manage access to content they provide to a local environment that has multiple methods of consuming that content. We also expect to see consumer electronics and white goods manufacturers delivering services that support their equipment in the home. This will allow them to provide timely product upgrades and continually offer new revenue producing services via their equipment. The other group that will enter this market are the companies that can offer energy management and home monitoring solutions that reduce energy costs and provide security for the home owner.

6. What are the benefits to end-users?

Richer solutions, comfort and security, easier to use solutions, and competitive offerings. Instead of determining how to connect devices to services and other devices in the home, most of this will be handled remotely by the service provider and network operator. In addition, solutions that require differentiated bandwidth service (QoS for voice or video applications) will be easily provided since the network operator will have a platform that enables them to measure usage of an application instead of just the number of bits sent over their pipes. Users will enjoy higher quality VoIP service at a reasonable cost.

7. What Applications are enabled by OSGi?

Any application that requires a link between local networks and devices and a service provider accessed via a network operator. Those applications that require a local execution environment for personalization, configuration, and local monitoring will have the best fit with an OSGi service platform implementation. Also, applications that required interaction with a variety of devices on one or more local networks will be easier to implement and maintain using the OSGi service platform.

8. Will homeowners be able to choose the services from multiple sources (i.e. via the internet) or will the Telco or Cable Company select the content providers available to their subscribers?

Initially, we expect that Telco or Cable companies will pre-define the services they want to deploy via an OSGi service gateway. In some cases, a set number of services may be bundled together by the network operator without any optional selection of services. Once the Telco and Cable companies have some experience with the deployment of services and the number of available service bundles increase, we expect the network operators to offer selected services to their customers for selection. Those network operators offering the widest selection of services should enjoy a higher take rate than network operators that don't offer any selectable service bundles.

Open availability of service bundles from a large number of service provides will occur once network operators have procedures in place to qualify externally produced service bundles for use on their networks. There are several projects underway now where the network operators are running trials to determine how remote service delivery and provisioning will be incorporated into the operation procedures.

John Barr serves as president of the Open Services Gateway Initiative and as director of standards realization for Motorola Corporate Offices.

He has been with Motorola for 17 years working on real-time distributed systems, low power system and software technologies, DSP development methodologies, home networking systems, and the convergence of computing and communications.

In his present role, John is responsible for directing the service delivery and wireless consumer multimedia standards efforts within Motorola. In addition, he enables strategic relationships with the consortia (e.g., OSGi www.osgi.org ), as well as the standards development groups (e.g., IEEE and IETF) to ensure that Motorola incorporates technologies that fundamentally change the way people communicate and interact while mobile, at home, and when using their vehicles.

Motorola's Bluetooth vision can be found at http://www.motorola.com/bluetooth  and Motorola's Intelligence Everywhere site can be found at http://www.motorola.com/ .

John has a doctorate degree from UCLA and previously serves as a staff engineer at Hughes Aircraft, as well as a professor of computer science at the University of Montana. He has been the President of the Open Services Gateway Initiative (OSGi) since it's founding in May 1999, and he chairs the High-Rate WPAN task group of the IEEE 802.15 WPAN working group.