Chapter 17. OSGi
In this chapter…
As discussed in earlier chapters, the next frontier in the networking industry is without doubt the home, and within a few years this market will become a billion-dollar industry. The Internet market has moved from the domain of the technologically literate to a mass market, with many users connecting from their homes. In addition, consumers are increasingly equipping their homes with multiple and other computer peripherals. As well, the non-PC Internet access market (including Internet TV, digital set-top boxes, Web-phones, and gaming consoles) is forecast to grow rapidly. And other household appliances (including consumer and entertainment devices) are starting to have intelligence and networking support built in at the point of manufacture. Furthering the concept of a Web-enabled home, many companies are working on plans for a central device, or residential gateway, that will be needed to network home appliances, PCs, and phone services. This chapter examines a new open standard for connecting the coming generation of smart consumer and small business appliances with commercial Internet services—the Open Services Gateway Initiative (OSGi) specification.