IBM, AMD, DIAMOND MULTIMEDIA AND 25 OTHER NEW PARTICIPANTS JOIN HOME API WORKING GROUP

First Home API Conference Brings Promoters Together With Host of New Participants

Hillsboro, Oregon, January 20, 1999 -- The Home Application Program Interface (Home API) Working Group today hosted 50 company representatives for the first Home API Participants Conference at Intel's facilities here. The Home API Working Group is made up of leading computer and electronics companies that are working together to develop a common programming interface for computer control of home devices, easing the development of home automation software and facilitating the accessibility of home devices by multi-vendor applications. The group's goal is to accelerate the development and deployment of computer controlled home devices including consumer electronics, security, lighting and temperature control systems.

Conference participants received the most recent draft of the Home API Specification. The conference itself provided new members of the Home API Working Group with an introduction to the technical specification, a forum for discussion and an opportunity to network with fellow Home API members. Participants were encouraged to provide their feedback and comments, thus lending their expertise to strengthening the specification. The final approved specification is expected mid-year.

"We are very pleased with the interest and industry support that we are seeing here at the conference for the Home API Specification," said Ed Arrington, Anywhere in the Home Initiative Manager at Intel Architecture Labs. "We are confident that this level of support for a common software interface will speed deployment of new home automation applications, controllable devices and home networks."

Since the initial Home API introduction in October 1998, 28 companies have joined as participant members of the Working Group. Conference attendees include newly signed Home API participants: 1HomeSite Corporation, Advanced Integration Inc., AMD, American Megatrends, AMX/PHAST, BDN Software, Diablo Research, Diamond Multimedia, Enikia, Epigram, Full House Control, Global Converging Technologies, Home Automated Living, Home Automation, Inc., IBM, Innovative Systems, Inc., Intellon, Intelogis, iReady Corporation, Leviton, Savoy Automation, Siebe, Smart Corporation, sockets.com, TeckCom World, The Lewis Group, Viewpoint Systems, Inc. and Visio, as well as the founding Home API promoters.

"The Home API initiative takes the headache out of home networking interoperability and the heartache away from consumers who've feared their components wouldn't talk to each other," said Rick Doherty. "This effort, so well embraced by software, hardware and services companies, will ensure that consumers benefit from shared resources and competitively priced products, as they selectively link elements of their own electronic lifestyle to the Internet." Doherty directs advanced technology market research at The Envisioneering Group in Seaford, NY.

About the Home API Working Group

The Home API Working Group was founded by Compaq, Honeywell, Intel, Microsoft, Mitsubishi Electric and Philips Electronics and is seeking new participants. The Working Group is developing an open industry specification for application programming interfaces that will ease the development of home automation/control software, enhance interoperability across multi-vendor applications and devices, and accelerate the integration and market acceptance of new devices and home networks into home control systems. The group's goal is to accelerate the development and deployment of computer controlled home devices including consumer electronics, security, lighting and temperature control systems. In addition, to the Home API specification, the group will develop and deliver a Windows SDK based on this open specification -- the first of which is expected to be available in the first half of 1999.

Other companies are welcome to participate in the Home API initiative. For more information on the initiative and membership, please visit the Home API web site at www.homeapi.org . Membership is a prerequisite for obtaining a copy of the specification.

Microsoft, Windows and Windows NT are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. *Other brands and names are property of their respective owners.

Rick Doherty, The Envisioneering Group, can be reached for comment at rdoherty@envisioneering.net  or (516) 783-6244.

Editors Note: For more information please contact the following company representatives:

Compaq Computer Corporation
Alan Hodel (281) 518-8932

Honeywell
Rich Sharp (612) 954-4570

Intel Corporation
Deborah Mullan, Lois Paul & Partners (650) 286-3986

Microsoft Corp.
Jim Shatz-Akin, Shandwick Public Relations (612) 841-6159

Mitsubishi Electric
Donnelle Koselka (714) 229-3837

Philips Electronics
Jeanne Alford (650) 846-4395