UPnP Forum, global home networking group for certifying device-to-device interoperability in home and other networks, announced that its certification program is rapidly expanding with a record 900 plus devices having achieved the UPnP standards compliant certification till date. Out of this, more than 700 certifications have been made available for public viewing over the groups website. The UPnP certification program is a certification system which validates device compliance and interoperability in home and other networks for both vendors and consumers.

Over the years, the UPnP Forum output has seen rapid expansion due to an explosive increase in the number of devices and types that are networked over the Internet. The Forum has, since 2007, seen the number of UPnP certifications increase exponentially on an annual basis. In 2010, the organization saw a threefold increase in device certifications compared to 2009. The devices that entered into the organizations certification program include TVs, audio devices and accessories, electronic picture frames, PCs and printers. Compared to 2010, the organization has in 2011 already completed 74 percent more certifications for renderer devices. To further validate its UPnP technology offering, the organization recently announced version UCTT 2.0, for its UPnP certification test tool which will effectively support the reach and relevance of the certification program.

In a release, Alan Messer, President, and Chairman, UPnP Forum, said, "We are seeing tremendous growth in networking in the home and small business premises of devices, be they consumer electronic AV devices, Internet gateway devices, computers, or home automation devices. In this heterogeneous and increasingly densely connected environment, the demand for UPnP certification and compliance, and the confidence that brings to users and retailers, is getting bigger all the time."

The newly released UCTT2.0 has been designed to support certifications for both UPnP devices and control points via one single tool. Featuring an active and run-time dynamic architecture, the tool offers simulation for different types of UPnP network elements as well as analysis of intercommunication for both class devices. Furthermore, the tool offers increased flexibility and extensibility which makes it easy for vendors to customize and build their own test cases. Device actions for prototypes of non-standard or custom UPnP can be outlined easily within the XML-based syntax format which can then be infused within test cases for the vendor.