Compaq Computer Corp has taken a minority stake in home networking company, Tut Systems Inc, and announced a licensing deal to use Tut’s HomeRun technology in future Compaq products. For Tut, which filed to make an initial public offering on Nasdaq last week, it is another confirmation of its strength in the nascent home networking arena. Tut’s HomeRun technology – which uses home phone lines to create a 1Mbps local area network in the home – was made the basis for the Home Phone Line Networking Alliance backed by Intel Corp, Lucent Technologies Inc and Compaq and others. Microsoft Corp has also invested in the company. Tut expects to ship the first products based on HomeRun technology in the fourth quarter of this year.
