AirPlay May Do for Connected Devices What DLNA Hasn’t, ABI Says

Apple’s recently announced AirPlay streaming media protocol could have a significant impact on the connected home in a way that DLNA hasn’t, said a report from ABI Research. Apple’s opening of the AirPlay software development kit to third-party vendors should result in a “significant increase” in the development of networked audio and video devices in the home, said Jason Blackwell, practice director of digital home at ABI. DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) technology is found in more than 200 million products from more than 200 partner companies, according to ABI, and its primary shortcoming has been lack of consumer awareness. “We would be hard-pressed to find an average consumer who knows what DLNA is or how to use it,” the report said.

ABI expects AirPlay to bring “a simple, easy-to-use system to the home,” and an installed base of 160 million iTunes users with iOS devices including iPhones, iPod Touch, iPads, PCs, and Apple computers, all capable of streaming content. Apple’s Touch could bring a “newfound awareness of connectivity,” ABI said, that would translate to additional awareness of DLNA and all connected devices.

AirPlay is making its way into wireless speaker systems and AV receivers. Featured partners announced by Apple at launch include Denon, Marantz, B&W, JBL, and iHome. A B&W spokesman told us, in accordance with strict Apple instructions for comments to reporters: “We can confirm, following Apple’s 1st September announcement, that Bowers & Wilkins is a launch partner for AirTunes. We will announce details concerning our plans to enable this exciting new technology in a Bowers & Wilkins product very soon. We have no additional information to share at this time.” AirTunes is Apple’s technology for sending iTunes music wirelessly from a PC to any AirTunes-enabled speaker in a home. Denon didn’t respond by our deadline.

ABI said one of the enabling forces behind Airplay is BridgeCo, known for network media processors and software in the connected audio space. BridgeCo technology has been built into products from Pioneer, Philips, Denon, Sony, Harman Kardon, and others, it said. ABI expects to see a “rapidly growing number” of AirPlay-enabled AV receivers and wireless speaker systems enabled with the BridgeCo technology. The BridgeCo platform is also enabling additional content from ecosystem partners including Pandora, Rhapsody, Last.fm, Sirius, and others, it said.

Additional announcements are expected over the coming months, with a “substantial number ramping throughout 2011,” it said. ABI recently forecast growth of networked audio devices from 3.7 million devices in 2009 to 56 million by 2015. But the firm said as the AirPlay ecosystem develops, “that number may increase even more.”