SilverStripe News

BridgeCo Announces Windows7 Support

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0200

BridgeCo Announces Windows 7 Compatibility

for Easy Music Streaming in the Home

Industry Leading JukeBlox 2.0 Connectivity Platform Brings Windows 7 Music Streaming Support

to Top Global Consumer Electronic Brands

El Segundo, CA (20April 2010) - BridgeCo Inc. (www.bridgeco.com), a leader in consumer electronics connectivity, announced the completion of the JukeBlox 2.0 platform under the latest Windows 7 logo process - earning the "Compatible with Windows 7" logo on the latest Windows Logo Kit 1.5.

With more than 90 million Windows 7 licenses sold to date, PC users can access and manage their music through Windows Media Player which now integrates the new "Play To" feature. The new Windows 7 "Play To" feature provides consumers with a very simple way to send music to compatible networked CE products, enjoying music anytime and anywhere throughout the home. A simple "right click" on any song or playlist brings up the drop-down menu where users can easily select the remote audio device where they want their music to play.

"Microsoft is pleased that BridgeCo has earned the "Compatible with Windows 7" logo for its JukeBlox 2.0 Platform," said Mark Relph, senior director for Windows Product Management at Microsoft Corp. "Leveraging the Play To feature in Windows 7 for the JukeBox 2.0 platform provides our mutual customers with a compatible and reliable experience."

BridgeCo's networking solutions power consumer electronic connectivity in many of the top consumer electronic brands in the world and is often the choice for enabling these compelling new connectivity features in their products.

"We are excited to bring the new Windows 7 music streaming features to our customers," said Jordan Watters, BridgeCo's Sr. VP of Sales and Marketing. "Many customers use Windows Media Player to manage their digital content on their PC's. With this additional feature support in our JukeBlox connectivity platform, consumers can easily stream their music to any BridgeCo enabled CE product in the home."

With certifications covering uPnP to interface to any PC, Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) 1.5 support for interfacing between any DLNA devices such as new mobile phones and now Windows 7 for simple music streaming, BridgeCo continues its market leadership by offering the most interoperable platform available.

About BridgeCo

BridgeCo is a venture capital backed technology company that is leading the consumer electronics connectivity revolution - enabling the biggest CE brands to bring a world of music to every room in the home. BridgeCo's industry-leading JukeBlox technology integrates a full software stack and an advanced network media processor into a WiFi networked media module bringing media and music streaming to any home music system. BridgeCo is an ISO 9001 certified company with operations in El Segundo, California, Bangalore, India and sales offices around the world.

BridgeCo Announces JukeBlox 2.0 Platform

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100

BridgeCo’s Jukeblox 2.0 brings Streaming Music Connectivity

to All Consumer Electronics

Industry Leading Platform Boosts Digital Music Apps by 25%

while Cutting Costs 25%

Las Vegas, NV (7 January 2010) – BridgeCo Inc. (www.bridgeco.com), a leader in consumer electronics connectivity, announced the next generation of its JukeBlox platform at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show. The worlds’ largest consumer electronic brands are powered by BridgeCo’s JukeBlox technology, adding network and Internet connectivity for streaming music to all types of consumer electronics.

With over 1 million products deployed in the market over the last 5 years, BridgeCo’s connectivity platform has established clear market leadership. In fact, JukeBlox has the broadest CE brand adoption in the industry with almost 70% of home-audio tier 1 brands using BridgeCo to bring connectivity to iPod docking stations, clock radios, mini-systems and A/V receivers.

The JukeBlox 2.0 platform integrates fast growing streaming music apps such as Pandora, Rhapsody, Napster & LastFM with popular digital music content like iPod, DAB and Sirius satellite radio programming. In addition, BridgeCo’s patented “whole home audio” technology gives consumer electronic products the capability to offer synchronized streaming music in every room in the house. All of these features are delivered to the consumer with a graphical and intuitive color display, completely revolutionizing the home listening experience. JukeBlox 2.0 also provides the industry’s only Software Design Kit for networked consumer electronics, allowing customers and partners to customize their unique product solutions. In addition, BridgeCo’s Design Partner program permits design houses or ODMs to become licensed and trained on the JukeBlox platform, providing an additional avenue for participation in this high growth market.

“Demand for streaming music and network connectivity in consumer electronics has never been greater,” said Jordan Watters, BridgeCo’s Sr. VP of Sales and Marketing. “The comprehensive software, low-cost hardware and popular music apps in our new JukeBlox 2.0 platform can bring streaming music to every CE device in every home.”

The JukeBlox 2.0 platform is built on the new CR-Series of networked media modules which lower system costs by 25% over the previous generation. This small, convenient and cost effective sub-assembly is based around BridgeCo’s unique DM870 network media processor, featuring integrated WiFi. These new networked media modules come with on-board options for Ethernet, WiFi, DAB/DAB+/DMB radio and USB2.0. JukeBlox 2.0 incorporates all the complex high-speed digital and RF design aspects into a single low-cost module with interface support for all the BridgeCo platform features and capabilities. The CR860 and CR870 modules operate seamlessly in both embedded/slave implementations, as well as stand-alone/SOC implementations. Each module will be fully WiFi certified, including an FCC “pre-certification.”

About BridgeCo

BridgeCo is a venture capital backed technology company that is leading the connectivity revolution in consumer electronics – enabling the biggest CE brands to bring a world of music to every room in the home. BridgeCo’s industry-leading JukeBlox technology integrates a full software stack and an advanced media processor into a WiFi network media module bringing media and music streaming to any home music system. BridgeCo is an ISO 9001 certified company with operations in El Segundo, California, Bangalore, India and sales offices around the world.

BridgeCo Announces DAB Radio Solution Partnership.

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100

BridgeCo Inc. Strengthens Consumer Electronics Connectivity Leadership With DAB Radio Partnership

JukeBlox 2.0 Platform Adds Full DAB/DAB+/DMB Radio Option for Industry's Most Complete Digital Music Streaming Capability

El Segundo, CA (6 January 2009) -BridgeCo Inc. (www.bridgeco.com), a leader in consumer electronics connectivity, announces a strategic partnership with PnP Network Technologies Inc.(www.pnpnetwork.com) to add comprehensive DAB/DAB+/DMB radio features to its market-leading JukeBlox platform. The worlds' largest consumer electronic brands are powered by BridgeCo's JukeBlox technology, adding network and Internet connectivity for streaming music to all types of consumer electronics.

PnP Network Technologies, Inc. and BridgeCo co-developed a low cost, integrated solution that maximizes the proven features and capabilities of each company's technology. This combined streaming music platform finally gives DAB radio suppliers the option for greater global appeal with the additional connectivity and networking features provided by this customizable Software Development Kit (SDK) based platform. These high-value features include Internet radio, new music Apps like Pandora, Rhapsody, Napster and LastFM along with streaming music from the homenetwork.

"DAB functionality is a great addition to JukeBlox 2.0," said Jordan Watters, BridgeCo's Sr. VP of Sales and Marketing. "BridgeCo's comprehensive and proven solutions bring connectivity features along with traditional features including: AM/FM radio, clocks/alarms, iPod/iPhone and USB peripheral support,. The integration of PnP's DAB solution further enhances our leadership, allowing us to service this specific regional radio need."

PnP Network Technologies, Inc. is a Korea based semiconductor company and the leader in DAB solutions in the Korean market. They provide a suite of radio-based RF and audio processing product solutions with many years of expertise in the DAB market. They are expanding their world wide business by servicing companies such as LG, Sony, Harman-Becker and many more. Unlike current DAB solutions, the PnP solution simplifies design and manufacturing with a 50% cut in component count. It delivers enhanced performance with antenna diversity support, co-channel rejection, superior SFN and C/N quality and high reliability (achieved from automotive quality certification AEC-Q100). This solution also provides for a lower total solution cost - especially when integrated onto the BridgeCo module. "We see a continuing expansion of DAB radio in the world wide market as well as a fast ramping demand for internet radio" says PnP CEO Alex Kim. "Working with BridgeCo is a natural partnership that allows us to address our CE brand customers' complete radio needs with the strongest technology, most comprehensive and most cost effective solution available".

"Our goal has been providing market leading connectivity platforms for a broad range of CE products" says BridgeCo CEO Gene Sheridan. "With a host of proven DAB controller, RF and software solution options, PnP is a natural partner for BridgeCo to allow us to also address the DAB radio market. We are excited to be able to meet our customers regional radio needs with such strong technology partner."

About BridgeCo

BridgeCo is a venture capital backed technology company that is leading the connectivity revolution in consumer electronics - enabling the biggest CE brands to bring a world of music to every room in the home. BridgeCo's industry-leading JukeBlox technology integrates a full software stack and an advanced media processor into a WiFi network media module bringing media and music streaming to any home music system. BridgeCo is an ISO 9001 certified company with operations in El Segundo, California, Bangalore, India and sales offices around the world.

About PnP Network Technologies, Inc.

PnP Network is leading solution provider of DAB/DAB+/DMB-Audio/FM/DRM/AM receiver and T-DMB mobile TV solutions. PnP has full mass production Radio chipsets for use in both automotive slave module applications with MRC as well as stand alone consumer Radio products. PnP also is shipping production DVB-T/Full-seg demodulator solutions . PnP customers and solutions are used world-wide by many top audio product companies. PnP has certifications ISO9001, ISO14001 and TS16949 for their applications.

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BridgeCo Announces $7.5M Investment

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100

BridgeCo Announces a $7.5M Equity Investment to Fuel Growth in Connected Consumer Electronics Space

Market for Connected Home Audio Projected to Grow over 300% in 2010

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BridgeCo® Inc. (www.bridgeco.com), a leader in networked entertainment technology, announced today a $7.5 million investment to support the rapid growth in connected home audio. A 2009 report, published by Eureca Research, projects the market to grow by over 300% in 2010*. BridgeCo’s financing will serve to accelerate the company’s technology development, support its rapid growth and fund the expansion of the company’s customer base and global design partner program.

“This funding helps us meet the growing needs of our Tier 1 customers and their markets,” said BridgeCo CEO, Gene Sheridan. “With the rapid market growth, we need to deliver cost-effective connectivity and a broader range of features for a variety of home audio products from A/V receivers, iPod docking stations, kitchen radios, to mini systems and home theaters.”

BridgeCo’s market-leading JukeBlox™ technology platform combines a multi-core networked media processor with a full featured, embedded software design kit (SDK). The processor and SDK are integrated in to a turn-key WiFi certified module. The second generation platform, JukeBlox 2.0™, will be launched next year, extending BridgeCo’s industry leadership by offering dramatically lower price points with unprecedented features sets.

BridgeCo’s technology powers some of the biggest consumer electronics brands in the world with customers like Denon®, Pioneer®, Nokia®, Harman-Kardon® and Philips®. With consumer demand for connectivity reaching an unprecedented level, the company is preparing for a significant increase in the CE brands coming to market using BridgeCo technology over the next 24 months.

According to Jordan Watters, BridgeCo SVP of Sales & Marketing, “Our Design Partner Program, launched in 2008, has been a great success, bringing our technology to more customers around the world, small and large. Our new financing allows us to expand this program by bringing on additional partners and adding infrastructure to support customers. We will be ready for the accelerating growth in 2010 and beyond.”

The financing was led by existing investor Earlybird Venture Capital and private investor, Christian Wenger, along with a new private investor, Brian Long, a General Partner with private equity firm, Atlantic Bridge. Brian will also join the Board of Directors as Chairman. “We see BridgeCo in a strong leadership position, as well as a rapidly increasing demand for home CE product connectivity” says Brian. “This is an exciting market with tremendous opportunity, as all products are becoming connected. We look forward to working with BridgeCo and supporting their efforts to enable and lead this new market opportunity.”

* Eureca Research, March 2009, Author: Gareth Owen.

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

BridgeCo Inc. is the leading provider of network media processors and related software, middleware and SDK solutions for enabling network and internet connectivity for consumer electronics in the home. BridgeCo’s JukeBlox technology integrates a broad range of functionality including internet radio with premium services such as Pandora®, Last.FM®, Rhapsody®, Napster® & Sirius®, wired or wireless streaming of digital music over uPnP and DLNA standards, iPod® and USB functionality, a broad suite of codecs, protocols and DRM standards, as well as traditional home audio functionality such as AM/FM radio and clock/alarm functionality. BridgeCo is an ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified company with operations in El Segundo, California, Bangalore, India and sales offices and a distributor network throughout the world.

Semico Research Features BridgeCo

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Semico Research Features BridgeCo.

An Audio Bridge to Good Music.

Is the digital multimedia home finally here? Media hubs and PC-centric solutions have come and gone, too expensive or not offering the right features; but the BridgeCo Inc. DM870 Networked Media Processor and JukeBlox software platform offers a simple, inexpensive way to connect multiple devices in the digital home. The DM870 can deliver quality audio or pictures from the Internet or other sources to PCs, entertainment centers or home theater systems, and it is inexpensive enough to be used in iPod docks, clock radios or table-top radios.

A major inhibitor to the realization of the digital home has been the confusing jumble of digital standards. PCs, TVs, set-top boxes, entertainment centers and cell phones all have their own unique standards for the compression, transmission or display of digital information. To help overcome this problem, the manufacturers of consumer electronics devices have proposed a standard, DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance), that allows home entertainment devices to share their content on a home network, using a DLNA interface built into each device. The DLNA interface will be built into hundreds of millions of consumer devices.

DM870 Networked Media Processor converts multiple standards, including JPEG, MP3, AAC, FLAC, FLAC HD, WMA, RTSP/SDP, Shoutcast and others into a DLNA signal, but it takes the concept one step further. The DM870 can transmit or receive that DLNA signal wirelessly, using a standard 802.11n Wi-FI router. Thus, digital information can be streamed wirelessly between dissimilar consumer devices anywhere in a home.

The most elegant semiconductor solutions provide complexity in an IC that is extremely easy for an engineer use. The DM870 is an excellent example of that concept. It combines three cores, a Wi-Fi transceiver and all of the required interfaces in one IC. A design engineer can use that IC in an A/V Receiver, a TV, a PC, and FM/AM radio or almost any other kind of consumer product imaginable without needing to deal with converting a digital standard to the DLNA standard or building in a Wi-Fi transceiver.

BridgeCo’s first target is streaming audio. Practically unnoticed, the music industry is going through a second revolution. The first was iTunes, which made a wide selection of music available on a stylish player at economical prices. The second is “free” Internet radio. There are more than 10,000 radio stations on the Internet. There are a number of Web sites that will help a listener find one or more of those stations with the kind of music the listener likes. In addition, services such as Last.fm, Pandora, Rhapsody and others that will build playlists of streaming music based on a user’s preferences. Another Web site, nuTsie.com, registers the tracks in a user’s iTunes file and then builds playlists from the iTunes music the user already owns. The DM870 will allow a PC user to stream music from the Web throughout a home to home entertainment centers, radios or other devices – with our without the PC. With audio conquered, video will be next.

Semico Spin

For more than ten years, the potential for linking PCs, TVs, entertainment centers, cell phones and other digital devices in a multimedia home has been obvious, but the obstacles have been formidable. The largest single obstacle has probably been the competition for digital home dominance between several industries, including at least the PC, broadcast TV, telephone, and cell phone industries. All sought to be the digital hub and monopolize content delivery. The consumer products industry was seldom seen as a real competitor.

Now, with the DLNA standard, the consumer products industry may have emerged with the real solution. With inexpensive interfaces available, the BridgeCo DM870 Networked Media Processor and JukeBlox software as an example, there is no need for an expensive hub. The standards conversion can be accomplished at each node within the product itself.

The problem will be attaining critical mass. The DLNA standard must become well known and so widespread that consumers begin to demand it. The fact that the DLNA standard is backed by consumer product companies is a plus. The companies in that industry have a huge amount of traction

BrideCo Selects Mocana

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0200

BridgeCo Selects Mocana to Secure "App" Delivery for New Net-Connected Home Entertainment Platform

October 19th, 2009: BridgeCo Selects Mocana to Secure "App" Delivery and Protect Software Updates for New Net-Connected Home Entertainment Platform

San Francisco, CA (19 October, 2009) - BridgeCo and Mocana today announced a technology partnership to protect the next generation of digital music players and networked home entertainment systems. BridgeCo has selected Mocana to secure "app" delivery and software updates for their popular "JukeBlox" platform, on which many well-known consumer brands of digital music players are based. Mocana's NanoSSL^TM software, embedded within the BridgeCo "JukeBlox" platform protects JukeBlox-based consumer electronics and music players from viruses, malware and trojans by authenticating the sources of software updates and guaranteeing the integrity of the new code delivered.

BridgeCo's extensive experience in audio streaming and networked home entertainment systems makes the JukeBlox platform a proven, mature, and flexible foundation that many well-known consumer electronics brands build upon, including Pioneer, Denon, Harman Kardon, Nokia, Philips, and Grundig, among others. JukeBlox tightly integrates with many content, advertising and interoperability partners including Pandora, Rhapsody, Napster, Flickr, Picasa, Sirius, Clear Channel, Google, Microsoft and Apple.

The JukeBlox Platform is the industry's most comprehensive Digital Media Player (DMP) software/middleware development platform, application code and SDK. The JukeBlox Platform for Wi-Fi Audio DMP and Internet Radio products enables the delivery of digital content available from USB 2.0 storage, broadband Internet connection or the PC to consumer entertainment equipment. The platform also provides support for an Alarm clock and AM/FM Tuner (with or without RDS). The platform supports network connectivity through Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet and is designed to comply with industry standards (UPnP, DLNA, Certified for Windows, Play4Sure, etc). The platform is optimized for digital rights management using a secure co-processor and Mocana NanoSSL technology for encrypted and authenticated delivery of new software "apps" and updates, letting consumers customize their home entertainment systems with new features and functions as well as leverage the latest performance improvements, audio standards and bug fixes.

NanoSSL is Mocana's super fast, super small SSL/TLS solution specifically designed to speed product development while providing best-in-class device security services for resource-constrained environments. NanoSSL is open-standards based, extensible, extremely small footprint, platform-agnostic and includes an optional government-certified FIPS 140-2 level-1-validated crypto core. NanoSSL includes a full-featured key generator and certificate management client, and even supports Government Suite B crypto algorithms and the new RFC standard for TLS 1.2. Free source code evaluations of NanoSSL are available to developers at http://www.mocana.com/evaluate.html.

"Trusted audio brands use the BridgeCo platform because we understand audio electronics and home networking technologies, and the cool new things we can do when the two come together in unexpected ways," said Gene Sheridan, CEO of BridgeCo. "But no piece of stereo equipment is 'finished' when it leaves the store anymore. Consumers expect to be able to update it, upgrade it,and enjoy new apps that are coming available every day over the web. Mocana's software makes sure that we can deliver those features to our customers -- and their customers -- with confidence."

In addition to BridgeCo, over 100 major consumer electronics and computer device companies including Motorola, Cisco, Intel, General Electric, Honeywell and Siemens rely on Mocana software to guarantee device integrity for their products in the consumer, medical, industrial, IT and military markets. NanoSSL is part of the new 5.1 release of Mocana's Device Security Framework, the industry's most comprehensive suite of embedded security solutions for non-PC devices.

About BridgeCo

BridgeCo Inc. is a leading provider of network media processors and related software, middleware and SDK solutions for enabling network and internet connectivity in home CE products. BridgeCo is an ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified company with operations in Huntington Beach, California, Zurich, Switzerland and Bangalore, India. Its key investors include Advent Venture Partners, Balderton Capital (formerly Benchmark Capital Europe), Cipio Partners, Earlybird Venture Capital, ETV Capital, Fidelity Ventures, Intel Capital and Wellington Partners.

About Mocana

Mocana secures the "Internet of Things" -- the 20 billion datacom, smartgrid, federal, consumer, industrial and medical devices that connect across every sector of our economy. These devices already outnumber workstations and servers on the Internet by at least five to one, representing a $900 billion market that's growing twice as fast as the PC market. Every day, millions of people use products sold by over 100 companies that leverage Mocana's Device Integrity software, including Dell, Cisco, Honeywell, GeneralElectric, General Dynamics, Avaya, Nortel Networks, Harris and Radvision, among others. Mocana won Frost & Sullivan's Technology Innovation of the Year award for 2008 for Device Security, and was named by the Red Herring Global 100 as one of the "top 100 privately-held technology companies in the world" in January 2009

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BridgeCo Sells Pro-Audio Business

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +0200

BridgeCo Inc. Sells Off Pro-Audio Business in BridgeCo AG

August 18th, 2009: Allows Increased Focus For Tier 1 Consumer Electronic Customer Base and Industry Leading Home Networking/Connectivity Technologies

Huntington Beach, CA (18 August 2009) -BridgeCo Inc. (www.bridgeco.com), a leader in networked entertainment technology is announcing the sale of the Company's Switzerland based operations and AG company responsible for the ProAudio and BeBoB business. This divestiture is a strategic move that allows BridgeCo Inc. to focus on their expanding world wide Consumer Electronics (CE) business.

Demand for network and internet connectivity is here for mainstream CE products for the home. With the rapidly expanding internet radio services, premium broadband music services and home networked media sharing needs, the desire for BridgeCo products and technologies has never been greater. "BridgeCo's Tier 1 customer base and market leadership is continuing to grow rapidly" says Jordan Watters, BridgeCo's Sr. VP of Sales and Marketing. "With this growth and substantial business opportunity, we must focus all our efforts and resources on the CE market and supporting our global brand customers".

BridgeCo continues to lead the CE market as an independent platform for home product connectivity. BridgeCo's advanced JukeBlox platform combines the industry's most integrated networked media processor with the most comprehensive software/middleware stack and SDK. BridgeCo solutions have captured over half of the world's global brands that manufacture networked audio products. "This structural change and divestiture allows our entire business, development and support resources to focus on the CE market and customers" said BridgeCo CEO Gene Sheridan.

"In the very near future every radio, stereo and audio system will have a network interface and BridgeCo will be the backbone technology that drives many of these consumer products. We must put all our efforts into driving this market and supporting our customers and partners."

BridgeCo Inc. will continue to operate and support customers world wide. "BridgeCo has been expanding it's development and support resources in it's new India Development Center over this past year" says Sheridan. "This growing engineering and operations team, along with our expanding base of licensed development partners gives us unparalleled position for expanding our leadership, innovative technology development and world class customer support".

BridgeCo Inc. (USA), the parent company, will divest it's BridgeCo AG (Switzerland) company allowing them to focus on the ProAudio business. The spin-off company is reinventing itself under the new name "ArchWave", and is taking over the entire Pro Audio and BeBoB businesses historically supported by BridgeCo. The new company, ArchWave, secured additional financing to help launch the new venture and maintain the current product line and support of their silicon and software solutions for professional and semi-professional audio applications. BridgeCo Inc. resources focused on the CE market and customer base remain intact.

About BridgeCo

BridgeCo Inc. is a leading provider of network media processors and related software, middleware and SDK solutions for enabling network and internet connectivity in home CE products. BridgeCo is an ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified company with operations in Huntington Beach, California, Zurich, Switzerland and Bangalore, India. Its key investors include Advent Venture Partners, Balderton Capital (formerly Benchmark Capital Europe), Cipio Partners, Earlybird Venture Capital, ETV Capital, Fidelity Ventures, Intel Capital and Wellington Partners.

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