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At the ITU TELECOM ASIA event in Busan in September, one of the big attractions at the stands of Korean firms like SK Telecom, KT/KTF and LG Electronics was the home network demos. Everything from the TV and DVR to the washing machine, gas timer and A/C unit was online, and at the center of it all was an IP gateway directing the action. On the widescreen TV was an icon menu for each appliance, all accessible by one remote-control device. And yes, even the fabled "Internet refrigerator" was online. It came with its own screen, from which the same icon menu can be accessed, making the fridge another control point for the home network. It also allowed users to access online information like traffic cams, weather info and video news broadcasts. Users could even leave video messages for other members of the family.

The fact that two of the companies demonstrating home networks were service providers was no coincidence. Each home network can also be accessed via PCs and mobile phones, with the same icon menu seen on the TV or fridge screen at home. This not only allows users to check up on their homes (via Web cams and status reports for each appliance), but also allows the home net to send alerts out to the user when something goes out of whack.

That's one vision of the home network scenario, and there are plenty of others. And while it all sounds future-techy, in reality the technology is already here.

Which is why vendors and service providers are moving on the home networking front. Home networking is increasingly being seen by operators like SKT, KT, Chungwha and others as a logical step up the value chain for their broadband customers. A number of broadband operators in the US and Canada have been taking that step for over a year, and Asia--the biggest broadband market--is closing in.

In June this year, the Korea Home Network Forum, Japan's Echonet (Energy Conservation & Homecare Network) Consortium and China's IGRS (Intelligent Grouping & Resource Sharing) agreed to share their advancements in home networking technology and promote the developed standards internationally, KT Corp is currently trialing a home networking service in a project with Samsung Corp's Housing Development Group in Seoul, where KT is providing 20o households with home network services, including interactive digital broadcasting, home automation, home security, health-care services such as remote video medical consultation, and infotainment services such as VOD, Internet broadcasting and network gaming. Intel has been busy working on the "digital borne," partnering with companies like Microsoft for digital media apps and working with service providers like Chunghwa Telecom, which plans to launch digital home solutions for broadband customers by the end of this year.

Even regulators are working to promote digital homes. Korea's Ministry of Information and Communications, for example, has set a target of connecting 10 million households through home networking systems by 2007, and has allocated 882.8 billion won ($770.2 million) toward development and standardization of home networking technology.

Consequently, home networking is becoming the next focal point for big-money hype. Certainly analysts are impressed. Instat/MDR says broadband sharing and a growing interest in entertainment networking will drive the home-networking equipment market from $8.3 billion this year to $17.1 billion by 2008. And while most of the action is in North America now (accounting for 46% of home network gear sales worldwide), Asia is expected to become the regional leader in home networking by 2008, accounting for 36% of the market as North America drops to 34%. Gartner is even more upbeat, putting the world home networking market at $106.2 billion in 2010. IDC expects the worldwide installed base of home networks to grow from 37 million in 2003 to nearly 111 million in 2008.

The catch--you knew there was one--is that while the technology is here, the standards aren't. Not all of them, anyway. Integration and interoperability remain big snarls in assembling the home network and bridging several network layers, from the network itself to the devices, the interfaces and, in particular, the content (three words: digital rights management). And while some have recently been sorted and others will be in the near future, the other catch (and you knew there would be another one) lies in getting users to comprehend all these new apps and--more importantly --pay for them.

The World Basic Information Library (WBIL) Program enables Reserve Component (RC) personnel of all services, military specialties and ranks to perform research in support of the Intelligence Community (IC) and military command requirements through telecommuting--working at a time and place of their choosing. The WBIL Program was conceived in 1996 by Mr. Ed Waller then of the IC Open Source Program Office (COSPO) which developed and proved the concept, and then asked the Foreign Military Studies Office (FMSO) to manage the personnel, production, and telecommunications architecture. The founding premise was to better engage and utilize the civilian acquired skills of members of the Reserve Component (RC), especially members of the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR), by engaging them regardless of branch of service, military skills, rank or specialty, in research that supports the IC's requirements. Since its inception the WBIL program has been and remains a joint program with participants from all military services, and presently has RC, Active Component (AC), and retiree members participating as well as a group of contracted researchers--all supporting IC and unit requirements.

The ability to perform this work requires only that one have access to a computer with Internet access. All other required materials and software are provided by the FMSO office in conjunction with the Intelink Management Office which provides access to the Open Source Information System (OSIS) network. Research, collection, and archiving documents via the WBIL program are done at a time and place of the individual's choosing. That can be from a Reserve center, the individual's home or place of work, or at a Joint Reserve Intelligence Center (JRIC). The Internet is a means of contributing researched material to the WBIL, as well as for accessing the Library. The Internet is only one source of information to support the IC requirements. As long as source material can be converted to an electronic format it can be archived into the WBIL. The Internet is a principal source for the WBIL program only because of its ease in accessing and archiving.
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The WBIL is hosted on the OSIS network and replicated on the Secure Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNET) and the Joint Worlddwide Intelligence Communications System (JWICS). To access the OSIS virtual private network (VPN) one requests an account from the unit's "OSIS Trusted Agent" or directly from the IMO/OSIS [accounts@intelink. gov], configures the computer, and then logs on. For personnel working in the WBIL program the FMSO provides initial training material to walk a person through the process of getting OSIS access, OS information research, use of the Pathfinder software, and the methods and standards for archiving material into the WBIL. More advanced training is provided by the Open Source Information Research and Analysis (OSIRA) course described below.

The WBIL program researchers address requirements that are based upon a "sanitized" or unclassified version of the IC's requirements. Subject areas range from anthropology and culture to economics, politics, government, military, biographies, and science and technology as well as all of the emerging or transnational threats such as terrorism, drug trafficking, and information operations. Additionally, many commands and agencies make specific requests of the WBIL Program for information to support their requirements which they are not able to fulfill due to a lack of personnel or competing priorities.

The WBIL program uses intuitive and highly "user friendly" commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) software to collect, catalog, and archive source documents in their entirety, thus the use of the term "library" rather than database or portal. In order to ensure that the source document remains accessible to the analyst, the WBIL archives the full original document--text, imagery, sound and video--that addresses the requirement. In that way although the original Internet website may disappear, the WBIL will retain the information for perpetual use by the IC.

An individual, whether in an intelligence organization or not, accesses the WBIL by using the Pathfinder analytic suite of software. This version of Pathfinder is hosted by the FMSO on its OSIS website and is replicated on SIPRNET and JWICS by the Ground Intelligence Support Activity (GISA) and National Ground Intelligence Center (NGIC). Pathfinder permits the user to not only search and retrieve source material but also to support their analytical interests via tools such as map plotting geo-referenced materials, and conduct link analysis, establish personal databases, and perform temporal and matrix analyses. For the uncleared person this utilization of Pathfinder is an additional training and the NORTHCOM detachment developed a close, cooperative arrangement around the exploitation of open source information. NORTHCOM appreciated the advantages derived from the close association between its detachment and the FMSO analysts and assisted in the relocation and expansion of the Fort Leavenworth JRIC into its new, three-story facility with enhanced connectivity, thanks to the support of the Joint Reserve Intelligence Program (JRIP). This expanded facility has created opportunities for more reserve intelligence units to drill at the JRIC and other agencies to locate there. Thanks to the team's efforts, FMSO has also forged productive partnerships in the area of OSINT with the Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS)--now the Open Source Center--and the Border Patrol's Field Intelligence Center (BORFIC). Recognizing the need to train personnel in open source methodology, FMSO in conjunction with the NORTHCOM J2 Detachment developed the Open Source Intelligence Research and Analysis (OSIRA) course. FMSO has also supported the National Guard Bureau's training effort in the same area.

In this land of rugged individualists, people go to considerable lengths to personalize their dwellings. Where are the heavy spenders that Pier 1, Crate & Barrel and Bed, Bath & Beyond hope to attract?

American Demographics teamed up with Redlands, Calif.-based ESRI Business Information Solutions to find out. The accompanying map, based on consumer spending data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, reveals high concentrations of spending on home furnishings in major metro areas and their suburbs - extending along the Washington, D.C., to Boston corridor in the east, and from San Diego up to the Bay Area on the west coast. The counties in our PopUpdates are among the top 25 based on how much the average household spends on gussying up its home. The most extravagant buyers in 2001 hailed from Fairfax County, Va., where the home furnishings bill averaged $3,935 per household. Big spenders can also be found in the inland enclaves of Fayette County, Ga., just outside Atlanta, and Pitkin County, Colo., which is home to Aspen, as well as in the farthest reaches of the country, such as the Dillingham census area in Alaska.

In 2001, America's 105 million households shelled out some $425 billion to spiff up their homes, up 28 percent from just five years earlier. The total includes everything from big-ticket items, such as furniture and major appliances, to chrome-plated brass soap dishes, fluted earthenware mixing bowls and blown-glass candleholders. The more enterprising buyers lurk on eBay's auction Web site, waiting for the right moment to pounce on vintage Shaker tables that will set them back several thousand dollars. Or they troll appliance aisles for brushed stainless steel Sub-Zero refrigerators and professional-quality Viking cooking ranges. Some of the purchases may seem frivolous, but it's all worth it. After all, there's no place like home

Motorola Inc. announced this week that Vonage Holdings Corp., a major provider of broadband telephone service, will begin offering the Motorola VT2442 voice-over-IP gateway to customers, making it easier to incorporate broadband telephone service into their home network.

"We've been working with Vonage for over two years, so there are a large number of Motorola voice gateways already being used by Vonage customers," Jeff Walker, senior director of marketing at Motorola, told Ziff Davis Internet News.

"This new agreement is extending our relationship beyond basic internal adapters, now giving Vonage customers a voice gateway that provides extensive networking features and advanced capabilities."

The VT2442 is part of a range of products that Motorola has created for VOIP providers. The device uses Texas Instruments' TNETV1060 VOIP gateway chip set to enhance the quality and feature offerings presented to customers who use Vonage's broadband telephone service. Customers can share high-speed Internet connections around the house and access Vonage's telephone services from one device.

The VT2442 supports up to two lines of telephone service and offers call waiting, call forwarding and caller ID. In addition, the device includes a home network router with four Ethernet ports that can be used to connect computers and gaming consoles, as well as a firewall for Internet security.
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Currently, the supply agreement between Motorola and Vonage for the VT2442 VOIP gateway is exclusive. However, since the device is relatively new, there is a possibility that the company will sell the VT2442 through other channels in the future as well, according to a representative from Motorola.

"Motorola is an ideal partner: They are a market leader in broadband-enabled products that are high-quality and easy-to-use. This partnership builds upon Vonage's product portfolio, giving customers more choice when they subscribe to our award-winning service," said Jeffrey Citron, CEO of Vonage Holdings Corp. "Motorola is a proven partner with the experience and support to ensure the quality that is essential to our business."

If your information technology business has been growing for several years, it may be time to take the next step - a huge stride into another country. Why? The industry is ripening all over the globe. According to the American Electronics Association, U.S. IT exports totaled more than $165 billion last year.

Of that bonanza, Canada and Mexico were the largest individual buyers, accounting for about $25.9 billion and $18.3 billion, respectively. Japan purchased some $15 billion-worth, and the 15 members of the European Union spent a collective $40.6 billion.

Options on where to find good people and set up shop are also limitless. A number of experts point to Israel for the former and Scotland for the latter. Israel offers a lot of talent courtesy of defense department spinoffs and Russian immigrants. Scotland, meanwhile, has set up a "Silicon Glen" to attract high-tech businesses to its lush countryside.

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Gigabyte-brained entrepreneurs seeking to tap foreign markets have many tools at their disposal. Steve Baloff, a general partner of Advanced Technology Ventures in Palo Alto, California, suggests keeping an eye on ever-improving Web-based architecture. Set hardware is another option for companies wanting to make an international name for themselves by developing a new technological concept.

Introducing technology to a foreign market is exactly the path Ofer Gneezy, president and CEO of Burlington, Massachusetts-based VIP Calling, decided to take when he and Gordon VanderBrug founded their company in 1996. VIP Calling created software that allows it to transfer calls to a public telephone network and offer substantially cheaper rates than traditional carriers. In 1997, the company began using that technology to route international long-distance calls over the Internet. Now it completes calls for major U.S. carriers and has established partnerships throughout Asia and Latin America, as well as offices in China, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, California, New Jersey and Texas. Gneezy's company handled more than 10 million minutes of calls in May alone.

"The hardest part of getting started was convincing companies our technology worked," says Gneezy, 41. "There was a question of whether Internet telephony could deliver the quality of the traditional voice connection. We proved it could."

But developing new technology is only one path to success. Another is to improve an existing mouse trap, which is what Stampede Technologies Inc. president and CEO Gordon Dorworth did when he created TurboGold for Lotus Notes. The 46 year-old has since created dial-up network software designed to provide faster access for laptop computers - and sends more than 25 percent of his products overseas.

If you think you're ready to head into a foreign market, proceed with caution. That way you can avoid common mistakes, such as rushing in before gaining enough experience at home, underestimating how much money it will take, and attempting to develop products for unfamiliar industries.

NEXT STEP

Information technology consultant Harry Sello says IT entrepreneurs going global should start the process with these steps:

1. "Find someone abroad with whom you can form a partnership," says Sello, president of Harry Sello & Associates, a Menlo Park, California, firm that helps business owners penetrate foreign markets. "Regardless of what type of partnership you create, find one that can add value to your product for the marketplace you're going into. That might mean a company that makes the product work in a particular language or within a country's engineering and cultural habits. That can also create tariff breaks by enabling you to enter that market as a local company rather than an American one."

2. Head overseas and attend the most specialized trade shows you can find. "Use them to hunt for partners and find out everything you can about your industry," says Sello.

3. When you go to a trade show, have your product ready for sale. "Trade shows have a much higher status [overseas] than they do in the United States," Sello says. "Europeans in particular expect you to come with a final product. They're suspicious of Americans who use the show as a barometer to gauge reaction to a product that's still being refined. Entrepreneurs abroad should be ready to make on-the-spot sales