ZigBee Today

While spring has officially arrived for the northern hemisphere, the ZigBee Alliance used winter preparing for continued growth rather than hibernating. ZigBee is entering a period of rapid deployment, innovation and growth. Anticipating that, we made organizational changes streamlining and prioritizing our development processes by creating the ZigBee Architecture Review Committee. This group will focus on delivering the technology strategy set by the ZigBee Marketing Steering Committee and Board of Directors. Throughout this process, our focus on completing a variety of public application profiles offering device interoperability regardless of manufacturer continued.  In fact, since our last newsletter a number of positive developments occurred:

• ZigBee Smart Energy:  The Alliance completed development of the ZigBee Smart Energy public application profile in January.  Work is underway today to prepare this profile for public download.
• ZigBee Specification:  Made the new ZigBee Feature Sets available for free public download and announced our new Golden Units for the ZigBee PRO Feature Set.  In the last three months our servers have been busier than normal processing nearly 28,000 downloads of this update.
• IP Connectivity: The Alliance undertook a new initiative to ensure ZigBee maintains its existing Internet Protocol connectivity capabilities as ZigBee becomes more widely used around the world connecting devices of all types to the Internet and other systems
• ZigBee Events:  From Tampa to Tokyo, the Alliance has been demonstrating our capabilities and drawing more people to our booth like never before.  This quarter, stops include Germany and California with numerous speaking engagements around the world.

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Analysts Predictions for ZigBee

Each year, the Alliance conducts numerous briefings with industry analysts as they work to size the potential of ZigBee in the various markets where Alliance members sell products and services. Here is a quick synopsis of what these groups have said so far this year:

On World - March 19, 2008

• Adoption for 802.15.4 and ZigBee chipsets is accelerating in several industries, according to ON World. Last year, 7 million 802.15.4 and ZigBee chips were sold worldwide, an increase of 1400% from 2004.
• "The ZigBee mesh network protocol is driving adoption in large volume Wireless Sensor Network markets such as advanced metering infrastructure, building automation, and home automation and controls," according to Mareca Hatler, Director of Research. "ZigBee is showing up in innovations such as real-time location systems, vending machine management, and point-of-sale systems."
• ZigBee is the most popular low data rate wireless technology and respondents in ON World's recent survey with WSN experts indicate that ZigBee makes up 44% of current and planned WSN products.

• Home automation products have long existed in small numbers, but a new study from ABI Research says that a technology shift now under way is opening up a new mainstream consumer market and creating a new opportunity for broadband and telephone service providers.
• According to senior analyst Sam Lucero, “The introduction of ZigBee…has led to new systems for mainstream consumers. There are two main categories: comprehensive but more economical systems for the consumer to own; and home automation and monitoring as a managed service offered by broadband and telco service providers.”

• A report published this week says that mobile communications platforms provide a relatively simple means of connecting diagnostic medical devices to the electronic medical records systems and advanced "Health 2.0" based services being developed by companies such as Google and Revolution Health.
• The report sees an important role for platforms that are flexible enough to allow medical devices that use a range of wireless standards, such as Bluetooth, 802.11 or ZigBee to communicate with a mobile phone or wireless healthcare hub.

• Buoyed by the rising consideration for convenience, security and energy conservation among the world population, home automation is coming to the fore as major home technology. Global home automation market continues to witness robust growth and is on course to touch US$2.4 billion by 2010.
• World home automation market is expected to witness robust growth and reach US$2.4 billion by 2010, as stated by Global Industry Analysts, Inc. The strengthening of existing markets in Europe and the emergence of new markets in Asia, South America and Africa is set to sustain the growth momentum over the next five years. Housing slump in the US is expected to hinder market growth of home automation in North America in the near term.

• Driven by emerging standards, increasing energy costs, and advances with Wireless Sensor Networking (WSN), the "smart home" is becoming a reality for the mass market, according to recent research from ON World. ON World's extensive investigation with over 100 home installers, vendors, and suppliers found that the wireless smart home market is accelerating.
• "While proprietary WSN systems have been used by professional installers in luxury homes for over a decade, wireless protocols such as…ZigBee will make smart home solutions affordable for the average household," says Darryl Gurganious, senior research analyst for ON World.
• Some of the largest and fastest growing smart home markets include lighting, energy management, security, entertainment control, and home health. In 2012, the Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) smart home market will be worth $2.8 billion worldwide, up from $470 million in 2007.

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Mention the term “house alarm” to anyone and you may hear a comment regarding how useless or annoying they are.  This belief probably stems from the global experience that when an alarm does occur, they are ignored by passers-by and succeed only in annoying neighbors.  Since the 1900’s burglar alarms have utilized mechanical or electrical mechanisms to trigger bothersome noise as a way to call attention to intruders.  The advent of the transistor brought the screaming alarm, sometimes with an accompanying flashing light, creating a new pest of the modern age. Monthly monitoring fees are often associated with most of these systems but the monitors lack any control over the system. If the police are called to investigate the alarm, the owner faces a high possibility of yet an additional charge by the police for a false-alarm.  Expensive, limited and outdated, these irritating security systems do more to disrupt the peace than help the home-owner, and don’t fit in with today’s interactive 21st century lifestyle.

AlertMe.com wanted to create a modern security system addressing the needs of the 21st century consumer.  The key to their new system is the use of the modern communication technologies already present in the majority of homes to alert the resident of a security breach.  Since a majority of homes now have an always available broadband connection, AlertMe uses this as the base communication line between the home and AlertMe.com. Since almost everyone now carries a mobile phone, this mobile communication line completes the link, allowing automatic communication between home and resident almost anywhere in the world. But the innovation behind leveraging existing communication channels needed something else, and this is where ZigBee^® provided the perfect solution.

For many companies, connecting the various sensors of a security system around the home requires unsightly wires, potentially damaging holes and hours of expensive professional installation. The AlertMe system avoids all these negatives because it relies on ZigBee to provide a wireless and interactive security system offering all the features that 21st century consumers expect: reliability, security, ease of installation and operation, plus long battery life. The wireless nature of the system allows it to be easily customized and portable. This allows customers to take the system with them should they move, making it ideal for renters and homeowners alike.

Wirelessly Connected, Wirelessly Informed
Because of AlertMe’s use of ZigBee wireless sensors, its customers can detect what is happening in their homes at any time.  They automatically receive alerts sent to their mobile phone, email, or by simply logging on to their AlertMe.com account via the Internet.  The intelligent AlertMe Hub inside the home sends a message to the customer about any issue occurring inside the home.  AlertMe.com warns about more than just burglaries; it also warns about fires, or even that a child that is not home when promised.  The possibilities are endless.

“AlertMe with ZigBee security system is people-friendly technology which is easy to install even for non-technical users” said AlertMe co-founder and director, Pilgrim Beart.  “ZigBee provides the perfect technological fit for our system with its open, standards-based and future-proof platform.” 

Simple, Affordable Security Providing Peace of Mind
Thanks to ZigBee, AlertMe home security systems are easy to install.  The systems require just three key things: a broadband Internet subscription, a mobile phone and about an hour to install the equipment.  More importantly, consumers will not need; tools, mechanical aptitude, landlord approval, or time off from work to wait for someone to drill holes in walls.

AlertMe security systems take full advantage of ZigBee’s long battery life and the ability to automatically monitor and remotely control and maintain the system.  The system reports any faults and battery levels and it is self-healing and self-organizing because of ZigBee’s robust mesh network capabilities.  AlertMe can upgrade all devices in the system remotely – even those using battery power – allowing new features to be installed as soon as they become available.

AlertMe System

ZigBee NEWSROOM

zigbee Alliance Continues expanding the internet of things

Alliance Forming New Group Chartered To Expand Existing ZigBee IP Capabilities

Tokyo and San Ramon, Calif. – February 28, 2008 - The ZigBee Alliance, a global ecosystem of companies creating wireless solutions for use in energy management, commercial and consumer applications, today announced a new initiative to further enhance ZigBee connectivity to the Internet and other networks by developing ways to more fully exploit ZigBee’s already extensive IP capabilities. The ZigBee standard currently offers communication to a broad range of never before connected devices over the Internet, creating a true Internet of Things. This new initiative will make it easier for developers and system integrators to deploy ZigBee and to add additional features and functions, including IPv6 support.

As a global open standard, ZigBee offers wireless networking to an entirely new class of devices ranging from light switches to thermostats, and electric meters to medical devices. ZigBee offers an open platform allowing for the seamless cost effective integration of such devices with each other and into existing commercial communication infrastructures. Today, you can communicate with ZigBee devices in your home or office using the Internet from anywhere in the world.  This new Alliance initiative will look to expand IP services even further into ZigBee networks and will augment existing ZigBee gateway programs providing standardized interfaces for ZigBee data. The initiative is part of the Alliance’s ongoing technology evaluation programs ensuring interoperability of ZigBee solutions today, while providing support for other open technologies tomorrow.

“Southern California Edison is relying on ZigBee for our industry leading Edison SmartConnect™ program because it is a solid, standards-based platform that enables customer choice and is designed for long term sustainability,” said Paul De Martini, Program Director at Southern California Edison. “Our team is working with other ZigBee members to ensure ZigBee remains a robust open wireless technology for years to come.”  An Edison International company, Southern California Edison is the largest electric utility in the state of California, serving a population of more than 13 million via 4.8 million customer accounts.

All ZigBee public application profiles feature product interoperability, regardless of manufacturer. Public profiles available today include.

• ZigBee Smart Energy enables wireless communication between utility companies and common household devices such as smart thermostats and appliances either through the meter or over the Internet. It improves energy efficiency by allowing consumers to choose interoperable products from different manufacturers giving them the means to manage their energy consumption more precisely using automation and near real-time information.
• ZigBee Home Automation offers reliable and interoperable products to be developed for the home by product manufacturers everywhere. It offers consumers unprecedented reliability, control, convenience, security and choice. ZigBee Home Automation provides standard interfaces for the control of lighting, HVAC, power outlets, motorization, security, audio/video and other devices. ZigBee HA devices are connected to other networks in many ways, including phone lines, mobile phones, set-top boxes and directly to the Internet offering remote access for information and control of devices at the home.
• ZigBee Commercial Building Automation offers reliable and interoperable products to be developed for commercial applications by companies everywhere. It offers standard interfaces for the control of lighting, HVAC, power outlets, access control, security and other devices. ZigBee CBA devices are often used to extend existing building networks and connect to these other networks via ZigBee to BACnet, ZigBee to IP or ZigBee to other types of building networks.

“The ZigBee Alliance invites other companies and organizations looking at low-power wireless networks to join our efforts,” said Bob Heile, chairman of the ZigBee Alliance.  “The ZigBee Alliance and its more than 250 members are dedicated to both the stability and growth needed to maintain global appeal.

ZigBee: Wireless Control That Simply Works
The ZigBee Alliance is an association of companies working together to enable reliable, cost effective, low-power, wirelessly networked, monitoring and control products based on an open global standard. The ZigBee Alliance membership comprises technology providers and manufacturers worldwide. Membership is open to all. Additional information can be found at www.zigbee.org.

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