The latest multi-player gaming consoles, NAS network drives, high-end media servers, high-speed networking devices, and other home technologies…what kind of network does a home really need?

“With the modern workplace thoroughly connected and networked, people now have higher overall expectations when it comes to computing and entertainment experiences,” says Jack Merrow, director of marketing for Leviton Integrated Networks products and systems.

Leviton’s integrated Gigabit Network System consists of Leviton’s commercial-grade Category 6 patch cords, QuickPort jacks, new Category 6 Data Board and Module, Gigabit Ethernet Switch, and Gigabit Router. All the devices snap into Leviton’s award-winning Structured Media Center enclosures, available in 14-, 28- and 42-inch sizes to support any size installation.

The new 10/100/1000Base-T 5-Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch includes an auto-detect uplink to easily cascade additional switches and routers from any of its 1-Gbps ports. The Switch features high-performance store-and-forward switching architecture with CRC and Runt Filtering. It connects to Leviton’s new Category 6 Data Module with Category 6 Patch Cords.

The 10/100/1000Base-T 4-Port Gigabit Router includes a WAN port and 4 Gigabit Ethernet Switch ports, which allows multiple users to share a single, secure, DSL or cable Internet connection.

Go Leviton Gigabit Network System

Sony showed at CES a new wireless data transfer system capable of sending pictures, video and data over a range of a few centimeters.
Transfer Jet is a near-field communications technology that Sony wants to build into its range of portable devices to enable transfer without wires. With effective data rates of about 375M bps over a 560M bps physical layer, it’s faster (on paper, at least) than USB 2.0 and IEEE1394 FireWire.

Transfer Jet uses a 4.5GHz system (similar to UWB) and has no security or encryption (as Sony assumes it is safe enough when you transfer line-of-sight over a distance of centimeters.) The technology isn't related to Sony’s Felica system, used in smartcards across Asia but lacking the throughput for demanding applications.

For example, a digital camera equipped with Transfer Jet could transfer images quickly to a Sony's photo reader box and those could be viewed on a Sony TV seconds later.

Transfer Jet is still a year away, but looks to join the ranks of Sony proprietary technology that make Sony-only customers happy but frustrate the rest of us.

Go Sony Transfer Jet

Victor Dominguez of Spain's D2, one of the leaders in PowerlineBroadband over Powerline (BPL) has been around long enough that many simply dont consider it any more. Yet, BPL is back-- emerging steadily over the past several years for in-home networking, access/utility company applications, reports In-Stat.

With no new cabling needed, broadband powerline networking is emerging as a winner in the race for multimedia home networking worldwide.

"Management and conservation of energy has become the overriding driver for smart grid, utility applications, where both broadband and low-speed powerline communications will play a roll.  As a result, we expect solutions using HomePlug Command and Control solutions to emerge in a big way, although we envision many combination solutions evolving including powerline and low-speed wireless technologies" says Joyce Putscher, In-Stat analyst.

Recent research by In-Stat found the following:

(From their research, "Powerline Home Networking 2007 Update: Gaining Power in the Global Market")

Go In-Stat

Leading corporations, associations and education and training providers will form the Information Technology Certification Council (ITCC) to promote the advantages and benefits of IT certification.

Founding members of the ITCC include HP, IBM, Microsoft, Novell, and Sun; the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) and the Linux Professional Institute (LPI); test development and delivery providers Pearson VUE and Prometric; and education provider Kaplan.

"The industry has come together to drive the value of certification," says Bill Horzempa, ITCC chair and director of the Worldwide HP Certified Professional Program at HP. 

The ITCC intends to confront many issues facing the IT certification industry, including exam security; perceptions versus realities of IT certification value and return on investment; and training to testing ratios.

Cisco is noticeably absent, but the founders rank as some of the companies that earn the most from getting their channel customers to certify.

Go ITCC

High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA) wireless technology is here today in some markets and getting faster, and may end up being more popular than WiMax and other emerging broadband wireless technologies.

Of course, that's the view of the GSM Association (GSMA), which represents HSPA carriers globally.

The reason HSPA could prove more popular than other alternatives is that it is built upon GSM networks, which reach 2.5 billion users today. GSM handsets can cost as little as US$20 apiece.

There are 128 HSPA commercially available networks in 61 countries, reaching at least 5 million users.

The GSMA represents more than 700 GSM mobile phone operators in 218 countries and territories. GSM provides the underpinnings of HSPA, which many refer to as a 3.5G wireless technology. HSPA is a software upgrade from W-CDMA networks, which were built atop GSM.

GSMA is not attacking WiMax technology, but GSMA is saying "there's not a huge difference in performance" between what WiMax and HSPA will eventually offer.

Across the commercially available HSPA networks globally, 1Mbit/sec. is about the average speed, although an Austrian carrier has nearly doubled that number. And the peak rate, for some, is 7.2Mbit/sec.

Juniper Research also forecasts that HSPA would dominate mobile broadband network deployments over the next five years, and make up 70% of the total mobile broadband subscriber base until 2012. In that year, more than 1 billion people will subscribe to a mobile broadband service, out of 3 billion in all.

WiMax will perhaps reach 9% of the market total in 2012.

Go HSPA

The High-Definition Audio-Video Network Alliance (HANA) has teamed up with the Continental Automated Buildings Association (CABA) to promote the planned 2.0 version of its technology for distributing high-definition video throughout the home.

HANA and CABA plan to promote a whole-home solution for moving HD content throughout the home.

HANA is an alliance of content owners, service providers, CE and IT manufacturers, and software developers. CABA is a North American association that promotes technologies for automating homes and other types of buildings. Its goals include the encouragement of industry-wide interoperability standards.

HANA technology was designed initially as a single-cable way of interconnecting components in a home A/V system and coordinating the operation of those components.

Go HANA