Internet Home Alliance Appoints New Chairman and President to Board of Directors; Also Establishes and Fills Two Additional Officer Positions

Business Wire, Jan 28, 2003

Business Editors & High Tech Writers

MONTEREY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 28, 2003

Internet Home Alliance, a cross-industry network of leading companies advancing the home technology market, announced today that Vincent Barabba, formerly general manager, Corporate Strategy and Knowledge Development, General Motors Corporation, has been appointed chairman of the board of Internet Home Alliance, and Kristine Stewart, director of market development for Cisco's worldwide commercial segment, and formerly vice president of the Alliance, has been named the organization's president. Jeff Cove, vice president, Strategic Alliances and New Business Development for Panasonic, will replace Stewart as the Alliance's vice president.

In addition, two new officer positions have been established--chief technology officer and chief strategy officer--and those posts have been filled by Bill Bodin, senior technical staff member, Advanced Technology/Research, Pervasive Computing Division, IBM, and Tony Barra, formerly the Alliance's president, respectively.

Barabba succeeds former chairman Bill Kenney, vice president, Emerging Home Solutions, Sears, Roebuck and Co., who will remain on the Alliance's board of directors.

In his role as chairman, Barabba, who has provided strategic counsel to the Alliance since its founding in October 2000, will provide thought leadership counsel and guide the organization in its mission to advance the home technology market.

"I've been operating in the wings of the Alliance since its founding two years ago, and I'm delighted to be taking a more active role in the further development of the organization," said Barabba, who was with General Motors when it founded the Alliance along with such companies as Best Buy, Cisco, Invensys and Panasonic. "It's thrilling to see the growth and progress the Alliance has enjoyed over the past two years. From its stellar member list and cross-industry pilot program to its ground-breaking market research, the Alliance is helping the connected home market gain traction and I look forward to doing all I can to build the momentum further and accelerate market development."

As the Alliance's president, Stewart will lead the development of new pilot programs, drive the acquisition of new members and direct overall efforts of the organization.

"Having been an active member of the Alliance since its founding, I am pleased and proud to be assuming a greater role within the organization," said Stewart, who will remain in her full-time position with Cisco, a founding member of the Alliance. "With a host of key new members--and a number of research and pilot projects in the pipeline--2003 promises to be a key year for gaining momentum and market traction."

In his new position as the Alliance's chief technology officer, Bill Bodin--who will continue in his full-time role at IBM, a principle member of the Alliance--will provide technology counsel and work with member companies to optimize collaborative technical efforts. As chief strategy officer, Barra, who has worked with the Alliance since its founding--first as a consultant and, in 2002, as its president--will focus on developing connected home business models and value chain analyses as well as recruitment activities.

Officers of Internet Home Alliance who are continuing in their posts are Ron Bellow, a senior manager in General Motors' e-commerce unit, who continues as financial officer and treasurer, Jim Devlin, president, Invensys Home Control Systems, who serves as secretary, and Mary Hill, the Alliance's executive director.

About Vincent Barabba, chairman, Internet Home Alliance

Vincent Barabba will retire on March 1, 2003 as general manager, Corporate Strategy and Knowledge Development, General Motors Corporation. In his most recent assignment, he was responsible for the enterprise strategic planning process and directed the Business Decision Support Center and the New Business Development Network. The author of Meeting of the Minds and co-author of Hearing the Voice of the Market, Barabba's next book, Anticipate-and-Lead - The Sustainable Advantage of the Knowledge-based Enterprise, will be published in 2003. In addition to serving as chairman of the board of Internet Home Alliance, Barabba is also chairman of the board of Synthesis Alliance, a consortium of leading companies that have a common interest in gaining insight and improved understanding of their customers, the markets they serve and future markets that should be considered, and Market Insights Corporation, a new company that offers consumers free unbiased product recommendations aligned with their individual needs and preferences while providing anonymous market information to selected product manufacturers.

About Kristine Stewart, president, Internet Home Alliance

Kristine Stewart heads up market development efforts for Cisco's Worldwide Commercial Marketing organization, with ownership of strategic alliances and partner initiatives. Her group is responsible for defining marketing initiatives and directing the relationships with all partners delivering products and/or services in the commercial space. Stewart, who brings to the Alliance over 15 years of experience in the computer and communications industries, currently serves on the board of directors for CompTIA, the Computing Technology Industry Association and CABA, Continental Automated Buildings Association.