From OpenHome

OpenHome is an independent body dedicated to the design, implementation, and promotion of free and open standards for the interoperability of networked devices in the home.

More and more devices are exposing their functionality to the network. If done correctly, the services a device provides to the network allows you to:

• control the device with a 3rd party control point,
• use the device in conjunction with another vendor's devices,
• use the device in ways the manufacturer may never have even dreamt of.

OpenHome's first area of work is the OpenHome Audio Visual (AV) standard.