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ZIGBEE ALLIANCE PLANS FURTHER INTEGRATION OF IP STANDARDS
Apr 27, 2009 (AsiaPulse via COMTEX) --
MEDIA RELEASE PR34415
(Full text of statement. Contact details below.)
ZigBee Alliance Plans Further Integration of Internet
Protocol Standards
World's leading low-power wireless networking standard adds
newspecification featuring seamless integration with global IT
networks to portfolio
SAN RAMON, Calif., Apr. 27 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- The
ZigBee Alliance, a global ecosystem of companies creating
standardized wireless solutions for use in energy management,
commercial and consumer applications, today announced it will
incorporate global IT standards from the Internet Engineering
Task Force (IETF) into its specification portfolio of low-power
wireless networking standards. This move will expand the
growing portfolio of successful ZigBee specifications and
should further advance the rapid growth of Smart Grid
applications that have widely adopted the proven ZigBee Smart
Energy public application profile.
By incorporating IETF standards, ZigBee Smart Energy
products will enhance their application capabilities with
native IP support, allowing seamless integration of Internet
connectivity into each product. ZigBee members will also
benefit from the knowledge and experience contained in IETF
standards for large scale network addressability, security and
IT integration, further building on existing expertise from
developing the world's leading technologies in the area of
reliable, low-cost wireless sensor and control networks.
Through cooperative efforts with IETF, ZigBee members will
create additional innovative solutions for wireless sensor and
control networks as part of the new specification. Internet
connectivity is currently provided by existing ZigBee
specifications; however, the addition of native IP support will
offer tighter integration from wireless devices all the way to
large scale utility IT networks. The resulting specification
will further broaden ZigBee's suite of low-power wireless
network solutions to meet the diversified needs of companies in
the home, automation, healthcare, commercial building
automation, telecommunications and consumer markets.
"This activity creates a win-win for everyone by combining
the strengths of the ZigBee Smart Energy standard with the
ubiquity of Internet standards and confirms that smart meter
deployments currently underway will have a seamless path for
continuous upgrades including Internet connectivity," said Paul
De Martini, vice president at Southern California Edison.
"ZigBee Smart Energy solutions are playing a key role in our
Smart Grid enabled programs that will provide our customers
with choice and promote long term sustainability." 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.
The Alliance provides the leading low-power wireless
networking standards that are open, extensible and easily
upgradable. It will build on the success of existing Smart Grid
deployments of smart meters and Home Area Networks (HAN) using
the ZigBee Smart Energy profile. This move will greatly assist
global standardization efforts for Smart Grid applications
including HAN devices, plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs),
distributed generation and storage applications.
"This is what our members have been looking for - the
established, respected and mature capability of ZigBee wireless
standards coupled with native IP capabilities along with the
support of the IETF," said Bob Heile, chairman of the ZigBee
Alliance. "Our members look forward to collaborating with the
IETF on wireless sensor network development. The ZigBee
Alliance will continue looking for ways to work with, and
support, open standards as part of our continuing development
of the world's leading low-power wireless networking
solutions."
ZigBee Smart Energy is the only standardized home area
network solution in the market today meeting the tough
requirements of leading utilities and energy service providers
worldwide. The deployment of an estimated 30 million ZigBee
equipped smart meters is underway in North America.
ZigBee Smart Energy - The Standard for Energy Management and
Efficiency
ZigBee Smart Energy enables wireless communication between
utilities, energy service providers and common household
devices such as smart thermostats and appliances. 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. It also helps utility companies
implement new advanced metering and demand response programs to
drive greater energy management and efficiency, while
responding to changing government requirements.
ZigBee: Control your world
ZigBee is the global wireless language connecting
dramatically different devices to work together and enhance
everyday life. The ZigBee Alliance is a non-profit association
of more than 300 member companies driving development of ZigBee
wireless technology. The Alliance promotes world-wide adoption
of ZigBee as the leading wirelessly networked, sensing and
control standard for use in consumer electronics, energy, home,
commercial and industrial areas. For more information, visit:
www.ZigBee.org.
SOURCE: ZigBee Alliance
CONTACT: Kevin Schader of ZigBee Alliance,
+1-925-275-6672,
kschader@inventures.com; or
Earlene Tang of GolinHarris,
+1-714-662-5115,
etang@golinharris.com,
for ZigBee Alliance
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