LG pioneers tomorrow's homes today

LG has initiated the development of a living network control protocol, LnCP, the world's first management protocol for the home network with a consortium of home network developers and partners such as Daewoo Electronics, SK Computer & Communication Company Ltd, Korea and Honeywell Korea. Companies in the consortium will use LG's application programming interface (API) technology free of charge to develop networked appliances.

"The major role of the LnCP consortium is to bring members' business advantages other than simple joint development of products. This will occur through various cooperative efforts, such as product development, authentication, joint exhibition and promotion. LG will support the consortium in allowing free use of LG LnCP when companies develop LnCP products. We thus aim to further the global standardisation of the communication protocol - by standardising networks in the home, customers can control appliances from a variety of manufacturers on a single system," said K H Kim, President, LG Electronics, Middle East and Africa Operations.

This presents a challenge to manufacturers and LG is taking the lead in formulating solutions. LG launched the world's very first commercialised home networking product in 2000 and has developed diverse web-based digital home appliances and multimedia tools for the Internet and networking services since. It has completed the development of Internet-accessible air conditioners, microwave ovens and pre-programmed downloads of washing options for different laundry loads.

LG has accomplished the second stage of the home network system, living networks, and is in the final stages of the next phase, the e-Home. "The infrastructure of the global market is developing much faster than expected and these initiatives strengthen LG's global leadership. The company has received orders for approximately 12,000 home network households in Korea and is also constructing 1,305 premium home network apartments in Shenzhen, China. This consortium is important in that it will further expand on this development," added Kim.

"By 2005, over 100 million homes are expected to be using networked digital appliances and LG believes a large proportion of those will be in the Middle East and Africa. Two to three years ago, when home networking products were unveiled commercially, people doubted their technological viability and marketability. Technology has evolved since then and LG has invested considerably in R & D to develop home networking enabled products such as the Internet refrigerator, washing machine, air-conditioner and microwave, that are wired into the Internet and operate independent of each other."