Mobile & Wireless

Zigbee steps into the M2M limelight

Targets short-range wireless technology towards consumers and utility segments

by Sean Buckley

Click here to listen to the Audiocast

In this special Machine to Machine Audiocast series, Bob Heile, chairman of the Zigbee Alliance, talks about the role of Zigbee-enabled system and how it can serve the utility and consumer electronics markets.

Click here for the Audiocast of this interview

In this Audiocast, Heile addresses the following questions:

• To start, where is the overall adoption and development of Zigbee-based products?

• The Zigbee Alliance, in conjunction with the RF4CE Consortium (which includes large electronics companies Panasonic Corporation, Royal Philips Electronics, Samsung, and Sony Corporation), launched the ZigBee RF4CE specification for RF-based remote controls. Can you talk about that initiative and the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead for RF remote control and what is driving it?

• No discussion about Zigbee is complete without addressing the Smart Energy initiatives the Alliance is engaging in. There seems to be growing momentum around Smart Energy in the United States and in Europe. What is driving these initiatives and what are the potential benefits to utilities and their customer base?

• To follow up on Smart Energy, Zigbee has developed a partnership with the Home Plug Alliance to target Smart Energy with solutions that accommodate obviously Powerline (Home Plug) and short range Wireless (Zigbee). Now you're moving to create a common AMI and HAN solution. How significant of a development could that be for the utility industry?

• Let's switch to home automation for a minute. It seems like the idea was one of James Bond fancy, but now it's coming more into the general consumer's grasp. What is helping to prove out a bigger case for home automation?

• Speaking of home networks in general, do you think the alliance of standards efforts such as HomeGrid (G.hn) with retailer Best Buy will help simplify the installation and adoption of home networks for the general consumer?

Click here to listen to the Audiocast

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