REDMOND, Wash., Feb. 9, 2000 — Microsoft Corp. today announced it has signed an agreement with ITRAN Communications Ltd., a leading developer of robust and low-cost hardware components and solutions for the growing power-line communications industry. The agreement will accelerate the uniform implementation and deployment of simple and dependable power line carrier (PLC) home networking technologies, enabling a wide variety of smart objects to be connected to each other easily.
“We’re excited to join with ITRAN to help bring connectivity to devices using power-line-based networking,”
said Shawn Sanford, group product manager of the Windows Division at Microsoft.
“Microsoft’s support of ITRAN takes us one step closer to meeting our goal of delivering simple networking across all kinds of devices and appliances.”
Microsoft has also made an equity investment in ITRAN and will collaborate and share resources with ITRAN for the development of simple and reliable PLC solutions. With the PLC implementation, manufacturers can easily and economically build networking into a wide variety of smart objects. In the future, consumers will be able to purchase network-ready objects that take advantage of the existing electrical wiring infrastructure. This agreement further demonstrates Microsoft’s commitment to enabling consumers to choose from a rich spectrum of network-ready devices, appliances, PCs and smart objects.
“Our advanced modulation technology will bring to life a new universe of networked smart objects,”
said Avner Matmor, CEO of ITRAN.
“We are pleased to be working with Microsoft to help enable a uniform implementation of power-line-based networking.”
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software – any time, any place and on any device.
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