BEAVERTON, OR -- (Marketwire) -- 02/18/13 -- Membership levels at global networking standards group, UPnP Forum, have reached 1,000 companies and organizations as a new era dawns in advancing device interoperability and simplified networking -- driving the connected experiences of the future and further strengthening the Forum's efforts in advancing device interoperability and simplified home networking.

UPnP Forum has paved the way for seamless connectivity between more than a billion home devices, and for more than a dozen years, UPnP technology has offered unique capabilities for consumer electronics and computing devices. Members contribute to the work of the Forum by participating in Working Committees, sharing their knowledge, experience and expertise to create common, agreed protocols, processes and best practice recommendations for use by the industry and for standards and other related industry bodies.

Dr. Alan Messer, UPnP Forum President and Chairman, comments on the milestone: "We're incredibly proud of our growing membership and stature within the industry. Our members are at the core of our mission to promote device interconnectivity standards, so we would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their continued participation and support. Each member is crucial, and with such a large number from a variety of sectors, they help to ensure that the diverse ecosystem is fully comprehended when developing UPnP specifications."

Basic Membership in the Forum offers joining companies the opportunity to design and drive device descriptions for their industry's products and services, while ensuring that both legacy products and new products can interact dynamically on UPnP networks. Members can learn more about UPnP technology and its opportunities, while gaining access to UPnP Forum events, including bimonthly face-to-face meetings, and access to remote Plugfests. Members are also open to participate in any of the Forum's Working Committees, where they can propose new standards. Areas of focus for the Working Committees currently include the Home Energy Management and Smart Grid, Audio/Video, E-Health and Sensors, and the newest Friendly Devices Working Committee.

Of these Members, 140 are at the Implementer Membership Level allowing them the ability to certify their device and control point implementations. This comes at a time when UPnP technology is driving broader specifications for device connectivity, as more connected experiences become a reality.

The Forum continues to make major advancements and has widened its scope into Device Management Protocols as it continues its work in standardizing and managing the operation of LAN IP devices within the home network. It has also recently taken on a new UPnP+ initiative, which focuses on delivering new technical capabilities to enhance functionality and increase customer satisfaction in today's ever-changing market of cloud connected devices.

Last year, the Forum published the Telephony v2.0 Device Control Protocols (DCPs), while launching the new UPnP+ Task Force, UPnP+ Cloud Task Force and the IPv6 Task Force, which operate under the Technical Committee and focus on defining the next step in the UPnP architecture such as cloud discovery, grouping, transition from IPv4 to IPv6 and more. The Forum also published its UPnP Remote Access whitepaper which was created to educate implementers about the new and exciting features of the latest version of the Remote Access specifications.

To view UPnP Forum's full membership, please visit: http://upnp.org/membership/list/. You can also view the Forum's YouTube video, which highlights the key benefits of becoming a member. For further information about UPnP Forum, to find out how to become a member, or for general enquiries, please e-mail upnpfeedback@forum.upnp.org. Alternatively, you can follow the Forum on Twitter @UPnP_Forum or join the Forum's Facebook community.

About UPnP Forum
UPnP Forum, established in 1999, is a global alliance of more than 1,000 industry-leading organizations working to enable device-to-device interoperability and facilitate easier and better home networking. The Forum promotes the adoption of uniform technical device interconnectivity standards and certifies devices conforming to these standards. UPnP Forum is an impartial group enabling member companies to participate and develop extensions to the UPnP Device Architecture, which defines how to use the Internet Protocol (IP) to communicate between devices, and Device Control Protocols (DCPs), which are services between devices. Members of UPnP Forum include market leaders in computing, printing and networking, consumer electronics, home appliances, automation, control and security, and mobile products.