Two trends are moving us closer to pervasive computing. First, recentadvances in technology fuel the market for intelligent devices that caninteract with each other anytime, worldwide. Second, decreasing processor costsand size let engineers endow thesedevices with application-specific processingpower. Home networks represent a significant step toward realizing the pervasive computing vision. Because a home network allows appliances to communicate witheach other, it needs a technology that can seamlessly integrate assorted devices intoa monolithic communications network. Jini accomplishes this by integrating distributedcomputing, network-based services, and reliable smart devices in a scalable network without administrative overhead.