December 1/2000 -- Welcome to my Mentoring section on Data Networking. These pages will grow in the coming months to become a valuable resource for connecting home computers and networks. I look forward to your comments.


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Wayne Caswell
 
HomeRF Marketing Manager, Siemens ICM


Data Networking
Resources
Articles
Science & Technology Trends
Future Proofing Your Home – Is it Possible?
The Digital Millennium … and Your Home
The MIT Home of the FUTURE
When a Brady Marries a Jetson…
Packet-Switching Telephony Gets Real
Home Office Networking: The Importance of Future-Proofing
Broadband and Home Networking Converge at the Gateway
Broadband Services and Home Networking
Neighborhood Automation

Press Releases
Information Appliances Will Outship PCs in 2001
25 Million Gateways
Audrey™ by 3Com
Gateway / AOL Web Appliance
Home Alliance
FCC Helps HomeRF
HomeRF @ Comdex

Standards
Standards Library

Wayne's Archives
March 2000
April 2000
June 2000
September 2000

Market & Consumer Trends -- What is driving and enabling the Networked Home?  This question is common among homebuyers who don’t want their new home to become obsolete before they sell and move out (or even before they move in).  Builders also ask it, since they don’t want to add new features until customers demand them.  And companies that make the products, services, and technologies want to understand the market opportunities, leverage points, alliances and risks.  Although the question is simple enough to ask, the answer can be complex, since it is surrounded by a collection of market, social and technology trends.

For insight into the answers, read my current article entitled “Marketing & Consumer Trends that Effect Home Networking” and my previous article, “Twenty Technology Trends that Effect Home Networking”.

This is the second of three articles that examine key trends enabling and driving the development of the Networked Home.  A final installment will address Social and Demographic Trends.  As always, your comments and suggestions are encouraged.

About Data Networking -- Of the four primary home networks (Telephone, Entertainment, Automation/Control and Data), Home Data Networking is generating the most interest. Consumer demand is so hot that it attracted the computer industry's largest companies including Compaq, IBM, Intel and Microsoft. This is a phenomenon driven by the growth in Internet access, broadband communications, home offices, multi-PC households, and new classes of digital products. It will play an important role in the emerging digital e‑conomy where new business models for commerce, education, entertainment, health care, and government will increasingly rely on consumer devices connected to high-value services.

Wayne is a home networking visionary, frequent speaker, and author.  His vision includes consumers with easy access to services and service providers with equal access to consumers, all without worrying about wiring or incumbent competitors that control the infrastructure.  Wayne retired from IBM last year while acting as the Marketing Chairman of the HomeRF Working Group, an industry association of over 100 companies with focus on wireless networking.  After consulting for nine months and writing the market research report, "Information Appliances and Pervasive Net Access", which is available from Parks Associates, Wayne recently started working for Siemens ICM.  There, he will help the company develop home networking strategies and apply its cordless telephone technology to HomeRF, thus enabling the integration of data and voice applications.  Ironically, Wayne is again working with the HomeRF WG as its PR Chairman just as consumer products ship in retail channels and the spec expands to exploit an FCC rule change that allows speeds to increase five fold -- to 10 Mbps. Wayne can be reached at 512-990-4047 or wayne.caswell@icm.siemens.com .