DLNA Announces New Board Leadership

PORTLAND, Ore., July 13 /PRNewswire/ -- The Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) today announced the election of Nidhish Parikh, director of Personal Media Industry Collaboration for Nokia, as chairman of the DLNA Board of Directors and president of DLNA.  The Alliance also announced the election of Bob Brummer, senior director at Microsoft Corp., as vice chairman and vice president of DLNA. Peter Kaars, director of Standards North America for Technicolor, was named as a standing director.  These newly elected board members join company representatives from AwoX, Broadcom, Intel, Microsoft, Nokia, Panasonic, Samsung and Sony.  They are chartered with overseeing the development of standards that allow for the sharing of content across devices, regardless of manufacturer.  

"Nidhish has been an active supporter of DLNA since the Alliance's inception in 2003," said Donna Moore, executive director of DLNA.  "He has served as a standing director since 2008, and has been instrumental in the global growth and adoption of DLNA standards.  In Nidhish's new role as chairman and president, he will work in conjunction with Bob, Peter and the other Board members to further consumer awareness of DLNA Certified® products and support the interoperability needs of continuously evolving digital lifestyles."

Over the last 15 years, Parikh has held a variety of positions at Nokia, including product development, strategic partner management, industry collaborations and other such areas designed to drive industry collaboration.  A Promoter Member of DLNA, Nokia is a world leader in mobility, working to transform the converging Internet and communications industries.

"DLNA standards have led to the interoperability between devices, software and services that characterize increasingly mobile lifestyles," noted Nidhish Parikh. "In my new role as chairman and president, I look forward to extending the Alliance's vision for the connected home and the exciting new possibilities this affords consumers worldwide."

Bob Brummer, senior director at Microsoft Corp., will also take an active role in DLNA leadership as vice chairman of the Board and vice president of DLNA.  In his position at Microsoft, Brummer is focused on defining and executing company-wide interoperability standards strategies for connected PC, CE and Mobile entertainment products.  He is involved with industry bodies such as the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE), and has also held management positions at Dolby Laboratories and Cirrus Logic with a focus on networking, entertainment, gaming, and consumer content.

"Microsoft is a founding member of DLNA and has long been an advocate for interoperability throughout the connected digital home," Brummer said. "As the Alliance's new vice chairman, I look forward to working with our more than 200 member companies to grow consumer awareness for DLNA Certified® products worldwide."

Parikh and Brummer are joined by Peter Kaars, director, Standards North America, for Technicolor, where he is responsible for the coordination and staffing of the home networking standards program. Kaars has been a DLNA member since 2005, holding a Board position and chairing the Content Protection Subcommittee.

"I am very pleased to be elected to the DLNA board," said Peter Kaars. "Technicolor is committed to advancing the playback of premium commercial content over digital home networks based on standards developed by DLNA. We believe that the seamless interoperability between devices, as well as the delivery of a compelling user experience, are critical pieces of the puzzle for the successful adoption of new products and services."

For more information about DLNA, please visit www.DLNA.org or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dlnacertified.

About DLNA

Members of Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) share a vision of an interoperable network of personal computers (PC), consumer electronics (CE), mobile devices and service providers in and beyond the home, enabling a seamless environment for sharing and growing new digital media and content services. Founded in 2003, the group established and maintains a platform of interoperability based on open and established industry standards that, when used by manufacturers will support the sharing of media through wired or wireless networks. More than 200 multi-industry companies from around the world have joined DLNA, committing the time and resources necessary to achieve their vision. DLNA's 2010 Promoter Members include: ACCESS, AT&T, AwoX, Broadcom, Cisco, Comcast, DIRECTV, Dolby Laboratories, Ericsson, HP, Huawei, Intel, JVC Kenwood Holdings, LG, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia, NXP, Panasonic, Pioneer, Qualcomm, Rovi Corporation, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, Technicolor, Toshiba and Verizon. Additional information about the Alliance, its participating companies and membership benefits is available at www.dlna.org.

SOURCE Digital Living Network Alliance