Icron Debuts PC-On-TV Technology

Icron Technologies launched its ExtremeLink PC-on-TV technology at International CES.

Icron's ExtremeLink PC-on-TV is a hardware-based solution that transmits PC desktop video and USB control wirelessly to a TV, extending the TV's functionality to include full online and interactive browser capabilities as well as access to all PC applications and content.

No software drivers are needed, and there are no restrictions on the content or applications that can be delivered to the TV.

The TV-connected unit provides a remote USB hub for keyboard, mouse and other USB devices. Pricing for ExtremeLink PC-on-TV is expected to be about $299.

For the full article, click here.

Connected CE key focus at CONNECTIONS™ Europe

Executive Summit features Parks Associates analysts and industry leaders, November 4 in Amsterdam

Parks Associates announced the speakers for its upcoming CONNECTIONS™ Europe Summit, which will detail the Roadmap for Connected CE.

The Summit, hosted by Parks Associates on November 4, 2009, at the Mövenpick Hotel in Amsterdam, will quantify consumer demand and analyze business strategies as Internet-capable devices are added to the network and create new opportunities in sharing content and expanding interactive services.

Connected CE changes the equation for the digital home, creating demand for more Web-based and on-demand content and applications on a variety of platforms. Revenues from online video and on-demand video content will exceed $16 billion in Western Europe by 2013, driven by connected devices and multiscreen content strategies. CONNECTIONS™ Europe explores the business opportunities created by connected products and services, including their impact on consumer expectations and the ripple effect to other devices and systems in the home.

Rob Timmer, Senior Director Net TV, BU TV, Philips Consumer Lifestyle, will deliver the Keynote Address for CONNECTIONS™ Europe.

Confirmed Speakers:
Richard Bullwinkle, Chief Evangelist, Rovi Corporation
Ronald Brockmann, Managing Director, ActiveVideo Europe
Bill Correll, VP, Marketing & Business Development, Eyecon Technologies
Brian Donnelly, VP, Sales & Marketing, Icron Technologies
Matthew Huntington, VP, Product Marketing, OpenTV
Art Lancaster, CTO, Affinegy
Christer Larsson, CEO and Co-founder, Makewave (formerly Gatespace Telematics AB); VP EMEA, OSGi Alliance
Wouter Leibbrandt, Manager, Advanced Systems Lab, NXP Semiconductors
Andy Nobbs, Chief Commercial Officer, Civolution
Kurt Scherf, Vice President, Principal Analyst, Parks Associates
Neerav Shah, VP Business Development, Verimatrix
Stuart Sikes, President, Parks Associates
Peter Smyth, CEO, RedMere
Bill Stanley, Executive Director, Operations Solutions, Telcordia
Frederic Van Durme, Head of Product Management, Thomson
Andrew Wajs, CTO, Irdeto Group, Irdeto/Cloakware

Summit Sessions
Connected Europe: Trends and Numbers
Defining the New Video Experience
Evolution of the “Digital Furnace”: Residential Gateways and Set-top Boxes
Business Models for On-Demand Lifestyles
Enabling Technologies: Connecting It All
Wrapping It Up – Predictions for the Next Five Years

CONNECTIONS™ Global Sponsors are HD-PLC Alliance, DSC, NXP, Radialpoint, Rovi, ActiveVideo Networks, Affinegy, Icron, Irdeto, ProVision Communications, Telcordia, and Zilog. CONNECTIONS™ Europe Advisory Sponsors are Eyecon Technologies and CONNECTIONS™ Premier Sponsor RedMere.

Register at www.connectionseurope.com.

Icron to Appoint Silicon Valley Veteran Robert Haefling as CEO

Icron Technologies, the leading provider of USB extension solutions, announces that it has entered into an agreement to appoint Robert Haefling as its new President and CEO.

Robert Haefling will lead Icron through its next phase of growth as the company broadens from successful USB extension markets into Video+USB extension market opportunities. Mr. Haefling brings strong Silicon Valley connections plus extensive experience in various sectors of the technology industry from semiconductor to software and computer component and peripherals.

Mr. Haefling has broad executive management experience in product strategy, global marketing, sales, and business development; and has been successful in driving technology adaptation and development of supporting ecosystem strategies. Prior to accepting the position with Icron, Mr. Haefling was General Manager and Group Vice President with ST Microelectronics and previously held positions as CEO with Meridian Audio Group, GM and VP with Genesis Microchip, VP with Sage Inc., and Director with Bell Microproducts. He started his career with Texas Instruments after earning a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration and Finance from the University of North Texas.

Following up with Icron after CONNECTIONS

In reflecting on some of the highlights of an outstanding CONNECTIONS™ 2009 event June 2-June 4, the introduction of new solutions to enhance the way in which entertainment content is enjoyed was a significant theme. I moderated a panel titled Extending the Reach of Wired Networks and Interfaces that showcased recent efforts in powerline networking, developing extensions to HDMI over twisted-pair, and Icron’s PC-on-TV solution. Rick Merritt at EE Times attended that session and wrote an article discussing the potential fit for the solutions offered by Icron Technologies, Silicon Image, Synerchip, and Valens Semiconductor.

When I was introduced to the Icron solution last September, I was intrigued by the solution that can basically extend a home computer desktop onto a high-definition TV using different types of standard networking solutions (be they Ethernet, “no-new-wires,” or wireless). I think that there’s good potential for products that allow consumers to access Web content on their TVs without going through devices like the digital media adapter or expensive solutions that don’t seem to work quite right.

Brian Donnelly, Icron’s vice president of sales and marketing, who walked me through a demonstration at CONNECTIONS last week, followed up on that article with some notes he wanted to clarify. Brian notes that Icron would be complementary to Valens or Synerchip, as their customers might implement Icron’s solution for whole-home video+USB-type of extensions. He also notes that Icron uses other company’s video chipsets (uncompressed and H.264 encoders/decoders) as part of their solution. So, they’re not looking to create a new video compression chip, but rather work with the solutions that are out there already and add remote USB functionality to enable a true PC on TV experience.

Icron’s “special sauce” – in wonky parlance – they multiplex all the data channels together (video, audio, USB) and perform various QoS and flow control optimizations as well as overall system optimization – this means that Icron has figured out how to ensure priority of the different data types so that your keyboard and mouse (and other USB I/O devices) are immediately recognized and processed as well as ensuring that video/audio are delivered in a very high quality format.

Brian says that products using the Icron PC-on-TV solution will be available in Q1 of 2010. I’ll look forward to seeing how the solution gets implemented.

Icron Demonstrates Complete PC-on-TV Connectivity Solution over 802.11n at CONNECTIONS

Unique home connectivity solutions powered by Icron’s ExtremeUSB® will be demonstrated on Connections’ show floor --

Icron Technologies will be demonstrating new and innovative PC-on-TV connectivity solutions based on its patented ExtremeUSB technology, at CONNECTIONS 2009, the Digital Living Conference and Showcase. Demonstrations of Icron’s PC-on-TV solution will take place at the Icron Booth (Booth# 315), at the Santa Clara Convention Center on June 2 – 4th.

Icron’s interactive PC-on-TV connectivity solutions demonstrate the ability for consumers to interactively access all PC content and applications, including real-time Internet content, on TVs throughout the home. The solutions combine HD quality PC video along with full USB functionality, including mouse, keyboard, flash drive, webcam, and all other USB peripherals, and delivers them to other areas of the home over standard 802.11n wireless technologies, enabling a true PC experience on the TV.

Icron’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Brian Donnelly, will be speaking at the CONNECTIONS Conference on a Connected Consumer Electronics (CE) panel titled, “Extending the Reach of Wired Networks and Interfaces.” on Wednesday, June 3, 11:15 am.

For media and analyst meetings with Icron at the Connections Conference, please contact Susan Kirk to schedule, susan.kirk@icron.com or +1 604 315 9959.

Watch Icron’s Online TV 2.0 Demo at http://www.icron.com//tv2.0demo

CONNECTIONS™ features Connected CE track and Keynote from DECE and Sony Pictures

Expanding Connectivity to devices creating new markets for home systems & CE --

Parks Associates has announced the speakers, including the Keynote from Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE) and Sony Pictures Entertainment, as part of the connected CE focus at CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference & Showcase. The event will be held June 2-4 at the Santa Clara Convention Center and features a track of sessions that examines the impact and business opportunities from adding Internet connectivity to devices such as TVs, mobile phones, and portable devices.

Mitch Singer, CTO and Executive Vice President of New Media and Technology for Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc., and President of DECE, will present the closing keynote Entertainment 2.0: The Future of Entertainment on Wednesday, June 3. Mr. Singer’s presentation focuses on DECE’s efforts to reshape digital distribution, from enhancing the consumer experience to lowering barriers of entry for service providers. Mr. Singer also focuses on the requirements of the “Millennial” generation (consumers ages 13-32) and how they are driving the need to develop more portable and mobile content access solutions.

CONNECTIONS™ sessions in the Connected CE track on June 3 will focus on the impact of new technology and user interfaces for connected consumer electronics.

Extending the Reach of Wired Networks and Interfaces examines the technologies connecting products to services in and outside of the home. Speakers include:

Chenyi Chiu, Strategic Program Manager, HD-PLC Alliance
Brian Donnelly, VP, Sales and Marketing, Icron
Micha Risling, VP, Marketing, Valens Semiconductor
Steve Yum, Sr. Director, Marketing, Synerchip

Bringing “Cloud Media” to Consumer Electronics Devices focuses on the core technology components and new business models in expanding connections between CE and the Internet. Speakers include:

Meir Friedlander, CEO, Eyecon Technologies
Michael Lantz, CEO, Accedo Broadband
Alex Limberis, COO, Syabas Technology
Loren Shade, VP Marketing, Allegro Software Development Corporation

For more information on CONNECTIONS™, visit http://www.connectionsconference.com/ .

Home Connectivity Simplified

As the home connectivity market rapidly grows, consumers are looking for ways to share and distribute digital content throughout the home in a simple and consistent manner. As digital media becomes the primary source of information, education and entertainment, the home computer and the Internet have become the conduit to popular social communities, family photos, music libraries, videos and games. The home computer and its associated Internet connection have become the heart of the digital home, but integration with traditional media outlets like High Definition TVs and stereos remains a challenge.

To read about how to take the computing environment beyond the desktop, and enable a home connectivity solution that is easy to set up, and simple to use, visit: www.icron.com/products/usb_new/home_connectivity_article.php.

View Icron's TV 2.0 white paper at www.icron.com/products/usb/home_connectivity_wp.php.

For more information about Icron Technologies, visit www.icron.com.

InFocus Partners with Icron to Enhance USB Connectivity of its Digital Projectors

Digital Projection Market Leader Leverages Icron’s USB Extension Technology to Enhance Ease of Use and Connectivity Options

InFocus® Corporation (NASDAQ: INFS), the industry pioneer in digital projection technology, recently announced that it has partnered with Icron Technologies (TSX Venture: IT), the leading provider of USB extension solutions, to enhance consumers connectivity options for InFocus’ DisplayLink™-enabled projectors. DisplayLink™ is a key ease-of-use feature for InFocus projectors, allowing users to “plug and project” from their PC or MAC via a single USB cable in seconds, eliminating the need for toggling, bulky VGA cables or adaptors. The new InFocus DisplayLink™ Extender modules allow InFocus’ DisplayLink™-enabled projectors to be installed up to 330 feet (100 meters) away from the PC or MAC computer source—making it a perfect solution for any application that requires lengthy cable solutions such as large meeting rooms, classrooms, or auditoriums.

The partnership enables InFocus to leverage Icron’s long-standing experience in USB extension to bring a proven, reliable product to market quickly. The InFocus and Icron engineering teams collaborated to support the unique requirements of the DisplayLink™ projectors, including meeting the bandwidth intensive requirements of transmitting content via USB 2.0 over long distances using standard Cat 5 cabling. The DisplayLink™ Extender requires no additional software drivers or external power adapters, making installation and set up easy. InFocus’ IN3100 projector series with DisplayLink™ can be connected up to 330 feet (100 meters) away from the host computer, with no degradation in image quality or performance.

Sold as an accessory, InFocus’ DisplayLink™ Extenders will be available for purchase in March 2009 through authorized InFocus dealers. Pricing information is available upon request.

For more information about InFocus series of projectors with DisplayLink™ USB connectivity and the DisplayLink™ Extenders, please visit www.infocus.com.

For USB extension solutions, branded and private-label products, OEM embedded hardware and Silicon, please visit www.icron.com.

Consumer Electronics Panel Follow Up with Robert Eisses of Icron

Thank you Robert Eisses, President & CEO, Icron, for a quick response to these panel follow up questions!

How do you ensure quality of service with your solution?

Icrons technology supports a QoS based Flow Control and Switching to ensure quality audio, video, and I/O support. This is built right into the chip.

What do you see as key limitations to UPnP and DLNA? How does the work of your companies address additional needs on top of these standards?

A key limitation of DLNA is the lack of PC application support. Linking to the PC, users certainly wish the content from the PC but in many instances are looking for applications such as IM, Email, Gaming, etc. on another device such as the TV. DLNA does not support this nor does it have an easy path to add this. Icron’s technology allows for the full transmission of the full PC functionality form the PC to the TV, all content, applications, and full Internet support.

For more information about Icron, please visit: http://www.icron.com/

Global CONNECTIONS Sponsor, Icron Strengthens USB Extension Patent Portfolio

Newly Acquired Patent Increases Icron’s USB Patent Portfolio to 19 --

Icron Technologies Corporation, the developers of ExtremeUSB®, announced this month that it has acquired, from the original third party inventor, an early unassigned USB extension patent that further strengthens its existing patent portfolio on USB extension solutions. Icron’s USB patent portfolio now numbers 19 issued or pending patents.

The purchased patent titled “Extender apparatus for USB connection of computer units”, US Patent 6308215, issued in October 2001, is the earliest patent that deals with specific implementations of extending USB across a pair of wires. It complements Icron’s existing patents that extend USB at a protocol level over any media. The invention described in this patent enables USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 peripherals to be connected to a host over a pair of wires and is found in many applications today, particularly in the USB 1.1 active cable extension market.

With over 2.6 Billion USB-enabled devices shipping in 2007 alone, USB continues to be the most recognized and successful interface for device connectivity in the PC, CE and mobile device market.

Icron believes that there are a number of USB extension implementations on the market today that are covered by this patent, and will be looking for opportunities to license the patent to companies where appropriate.

For more information on the company and its products, please visit http://www.icron.com/ .

Icron President & CEO Speaks at Connections Conference Topic - Home Connectivity, Keeping it Simple

Robert Eisses, President & CEO of Icron Technologies Corporation (TSX Venture: IT), the developers of ExtremeUSB(R), will be speaking at the Connections Digital Living Conference & Showcase on June 24, 2008, at the Santa Clara Convention Centre. This is the largest executive conference and showcase for advanced digital lifestyle products, services, and solutions. Industry leaders from around the world will be focussing on advancing consumer lifestyles through technology services, applications, and devices.

Mr. Eisses will be a part of an expert panel discussing whether current home networking solutions are following the K.I.S.S. (keep it simple, stupid) rule in media sharing. With over 20 years of experience in the technology industry, Mr. Eisses will be talking about simplified device connectivity solutions that use standard interfaces, such as USB, to connect PC/Mac to TV in the most cost effective way. These solutions provide true plug and play capabilities, use no new wires, are easy to install, and are highly reliable, secure with excellent performance in extending the computer benefits to any room.

By 2010, U.S. consumer spending for home technical support services will reach nearly $1 billion, with much of this growth based on the current product and service innovations that will be on display at Connections.

For more information about Home Connectivity solutions, read Icron's Home Connectivity whitepaper at:
http://www.icron.com/products/usb/collateral/icron_home_connectivity_wp.pdf