The ZigBee Alliance and the Thread Group today announced that they are collaborating to enable the ZigBee application layer to run over Thread networks. The integration will allow ZigBee devices to connect to the network natively using the Ipv6.
ZigBee is a wireless standard used to connect a wide variety of everyday devices within the Internet-of-Things(IoT)/Machine-to-Machine(M2M) domain. The connection is necessary to enable these devices to connect to each other and transmit information to and from their end-nodes. Via the ZigBee Cluster Library, ZigBee standardizes application level functionality for a wide variety of devices used in smart homes and other markets.
At the same time, Thread is a wireless networking protocol that can support multiple low-bandwidth, IP-based application protocols that provide secure and reliable networks, simple connectivity and low power in the home, making it a suitable choice to power smart homes that are becoming increasingly popular with more and more manufacturers rolling out home appliances that are Internet-ready. Towards this end, Thread enables product developers to create, and consumers to enjoy, products that easily and securely connect to a low-power wireless mesh network, with direct Internet and cloud access for every device.
Application level standardization is necessary to provide truly interoperable products to consumers. We believe this agreement will deliver value to product developers searching for another solution for connectivity in the smart home.
Chris Boross, President, Thread Group and Technical Product Marketing Manager, Nest
By agreeing to work together, ZigBee and Thread are taking a big step towards reducing fragmentation in the industry. Thread is designed to work with and support many different application layer protocols, and we look forward to working with ZigBee to create a combined solution for the connected home.