The Z-Wave Alliance, the standards development organization dedicated to advancing the smart home and Z-Wave^® technology, today announces full support of the latest cybersecurity labeling programs for IoT and connected devices. In conjunction with the Z-Wave Alliance Summit & Unplug Fest 2024, the Alliance today announces that the Z-Wave protocol security framework meets, and in some cases exceeds, the regulations and requirements set forth by the recently announced U.S. Cyber Trust Mark.

“Robust device security has long stood as a cornerstone of the Z-Wave protocol,” said Avi Rosenthal, Chairman of the Board for the Z-Wave Alliance. “The Z-Wave Alliance commends all the hard work done by our industry cohorts at the Connectivity Standards Alliance in raising much-needed awareness surrounding the complexities of enhanced cybersecurity for connected devices.”

Certification is paramount when it comes to the future of connected IoT devices. All Z-Wave devices are subject to a rigorous certification process to ensure device security, compatibility, and interoperability. As Cybersecurity labeling becomes more prevalent, the Alliance remains committed to its best-in-class certification process while embracing evolving programs. The Z-Wave Alliance certification program does not compete with the CSA Product Security Verified Mark nor the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark but instead signals support and compliance for the developing regulations and specifications.

For More Information: www.zwavealliance.org

The post Z-Wave Alliance Announces Support and Compliance with Latest Cybersecurity Labeling Programs for IoT Devices appeared first on Smart Home World Magazine.

The Z-Wave Alliance, the standards development organization dedicated to advancing the smart home and Z-Wave^® technology, today announces that the specification for ZWLR for the European market has been completed, and will be made available to member companies in an upcoming release.

“From the moment we announced ZWLR for the North American market, the Alliance has been hard at work to make the spec available to our valued members in Europe,” said Avi Rosenthal, Chairman of the Board, Z-Wave Alliance. “With the specification complete, the Alliance will soon announce ZWLR certification program details and once released, ZWLR will be available to European Z-Wave Alliance members for product development.”    

ZWLR ushers in a new era of Z-Wave connectivity, bringing expanding options for the smart home, multi-dwelling units, hospitality, and more. Coming soon to the European market, ZWLR has been meticulously designed as a communication protocol for applications where high performance, increased scale, low power, increased device security, range, and device interoperability are all vital. With the specification now complete, Z-Wave Alliance members operating within Europe will soon be able to capitalize on the features and benefits of ZWLR.

Network Topology

While the network topologies are different, Z-Wave supports both a mesh network and a star network operating within the same frequency range. Existing Z-Wave mesh and new ZWLR nodes can co-exist on the same network, enabling a wide variety and combination of Z-Wave devices capable of achieving the highest performance feature set of any wireless protocol combination.

ZWLR devices operate on a star network topology which features the gateway/hub at a central point and then establishes a direct, point-to-point connection to end devices. The direct communication path established by the star network topology provides a substantial decrease in latency between the gateway/hub and end point devices which is particularly beneficial in noisy or crowded installation environments with high volumes of wireless communications.

Z-Wave mesh and ZWLR have been designed to co-exist and complement each other. By operating on a star network, ZWLR enables direct gateway-hub-to-device connection across increased distances. In contrast, mesh traditionally permits a signal to hop from node to node until the intended destination is met. With ZWLR, simplified routing enables commands to go through faster and potential failures within the network are highlighted quickly as well. With Z-Wave, manufacturers have access to the “self-healing” properties of mesh networks and the direct communication benefits of a star network

The post Z-Wave Alliance Announces Release of Z-Wave Long Range Specification for European Market appeared first on Smart Home World Magazine.

LocklyPRO, a vertically integrated, total-access solutions company and the commercial division of Lockly®, today unveiled its collaboration with Alarm.com with two Z-Wave-certified smart lock solutions, expanding the company’s integration capabilities in both homes and businesses. New to the suite of LocklyPRO products is the first Z-Wave-certified lock with biometric fingerprint access, Lockly GUARD Deadbolt Z-Wave (model# 728FZ PU) in addition to a version without fingerprint access (model# 728Z PU). Alarm.com customers can now add Lockly GUARD Deadbolt Z-Wave to their integrated ecosystem, making it easier than ever to manage every connected device from one convenient platform. 

“This Z-Wave certification stands as a testament to our ongoing commitment to delivering a state-of-the-art experience for customers, and ensuring the utmost security, quality, and convenience in our products,” said Mark O’Donnell, US Director of Sales at Lockly. “This new integration reinforces Lockly’s position as a trusted industry leader, ready to shape the future of smart lock solutions and elevate the way our customers live, work, and interact with technology in their daily lives.”

With LocklyPRO’s Z-Wave compatibility, users can create a connected ecosystem of smart devices within their homes and businesses. They can control and automate these devices through the Alarm.com app, allowing for enhanced security, energy management, and home automation capabilities, while still enjoying LocklyPRO’s feature-rich solutions. Once connected, users will be able to complete a suite of basic and advanced functions, such as biometric fingerprint access, the ability to remotely lock and unlock doors, create temporary access codes, receive notifications about the lock’s status, and more.

LocklyPRO’s smart locks offer advanced security features including the company’s patented PIN Genie technology, tamper-resistant touchscreen, remote access control, and fingerprint access. The integration of Z-Wave technology enhances these products by allowing seamless connectivity with other Z-Wave-compatible devices in the home or workplace, further improving the convenience and security of consumers. 

LocklyPRO’s new Z-Wave certification reinforces the company’s position as an industry leader in the smart lock market, delivering high-quality technology that enhances the safety and convenience of homeowners and businesses. For those interested in purchasing LocklyPRO’s certified products, contact prosales@lockly.com. Lockly also extends an invitation for potential distribution partnerships.

For more information, please visit www.LocklyPRO.com

The post LocklyPro Announces New Z-Wave-Enabled Lockly Guard Models, Now Integrated with Alarm.com appeared first on Smart Home World Magazine.

The Z-Wave Alliance, the standards development organization dedicated to advancing the smart home and Z-Wave^® technology, announced a burst of updates including an exciting new member, availability of in-demand educational resources, and support for dozens of Z-Wave Alliance member companies at CES 2024. On the heels of announcing the newly elected Board of Directors, the bevy of announcements from the Z-Wave Alliance marks an explosive start to 2024.   

OliverIQ Joins the Z-Wave Alliance

Officially launched at CES 2024, OliverIQ (Venetian Expo Booth #51932) is on a mission to put smart home automation in reach for everyone with their Smart Home as a Service (SHaaS) solution. With OliverIQ, a single user-friendly app unites third-party connected devices within the home, backed by unlimited always-on support. OliverIQ has joined the Z-Wave Alliance at the manufacturer level and has meticulously engineered their Smart Home as a Service solution to seamlessly integrate users’ most desired smart home devices – many of which are Z-Wave-certified – into a single streamlined experience. This new solution provides users with a consolidated app and access to control over third-party devices, optional live security monitoring, remote monitoring, and management, as well as comprehensive technical service and support.

New Z-Wave Long Range Resources

Z-Wave Long Range (Z-Wave LR) has been engineered to provide significantly extended wireless range, support robust networks, and extend Z-Wave connectivity beyond the interior boundaries of the home to improve wireless transmission range of peripheral Z-Wave devices. The technology responsible for ushering in a new era of Z-Wave connectivity and bringing expanded options for the smart home, multi-dwelling units, and hospitality use cases is the chosen topic for the latest round of published educational content produced by the Z-Wave Alliance. Today, the Z-Wave Alliance announces availability of the Z-Wave Long Range eBook and Alarm.com Water Dragon and Z-Wave Long Range case study.

Z-Wave Long Range (ZWLR) is the latest addition to the “WHY Z-WAVE” educational eBook series created by the Z-Wave Alliance and is now available via the Alliance website. Produced for industry partners, members, and the market at large, the WHY Z-WAVE eBook series serves as the definitive guide to Z-Wave technology and how the Z-Wave protocol addresses existing and emerging markets. As the latest published volume, the Z-Wave LR eBook covers network topology, showcases how the technology increases range, coverage, scalability, dynamic power management, and discusses benefits of Z-Wave LR for everyone including manufacturers, developers, installers, and consumers.

To showcase Z-Wave LR applications and benefits in the market today, the Z-Wave Alliance announces availability of the Water Dragon case study, published in partnership with Alarm.com and Silicon Labs. Available for download now, this informative case study examines the challenges faced by Alarm.com during the product development process and highlights how the Z-Wave 700 Series module from Silicon Labs with support for Z-Wave LR presented a clear solution to those challenges. As one of the premier brands in smart security and technology, the case study explores why Alarm.com chose to implement Z-Wave LR within the Water Dragon solution to achieve increased range capabilities and dynamic power control offered by the technology. The unique combination of these two features is critical in supporting future-proof Z-Wave installations since one of the most compelling use-cases for sensors, especially those needing increased battery life, is the ability to deploy them in hard-to-reach places such as attics, basements, or behind walls.

CES 2024 Presence and Support

With over 30 member companies exhibiting at CES 2024, Z-Wave technology will be broadly displayed at the event. The full list of exhibiting Z-Wave Alliance membership companies will be available within the Z-Wave Alliance suite located at Tech West, Venetian and Palazzo Hospitality Suite #32-139.

The Z-Wave Alliance is hosting a series of informative fireside chat sessions designed to excite and educate attendees about the state of Z-Wave technology and explore opportunity-rich verticals. Each of the three sessions will feature a unique presentation topic followed by a cocktail and networking event.

For More Information http://z-wavealliance.org

The post Z-Wave Alliance Kicks Off 2024 with New Members, Updated Educational Materials, and CES 2024 Presence appeared first on Smart Home World Magazine.

Avi Rosenthal, Chairman of the Board at the Z-Wave Alliance, discusses pivotal achievements, and the robust Z-Wave Certification program, and anticipates a milestone of 4,400 certified devices from numerous brands by the close of 2023. Positioned as the most extensive interoperable sub-GHz collection of smart home devices, the Z-Wave ecosystem reflects a new era, poised to lead two decades of progress and innovation in smart homes and the connected IoT segment. 

How has Z-Wave Alliance evolved over the years, and what key technological advancements have shaped its trajectory? 

The Z-Wave Alliance has stood as the steward for Z-Wave technology for over two decades and recently, has undergone extensive changes that will be critical to the continued success of the protocol. Here, it is important to distinguish the difference between Z-Wave as the technology, and the Alliance as the organization dedicated to its advancement. Key milestones for the Z-Wave Alliance include the release of the interoperability layer of the Z-Wave standard to the public domain in 2016. The Z-Wave Public Spec provides cloud service developers, gateway makers, technology enthusiasts, and others free and easy access to the Z-Wave interoperability layer for the development of smart home IoT applications. Shortly thereafter, with security and interoperability as pillars of the Z-Wave technology, the Z-Wave Alliance mandated in April of 2017 that any product receiving Z-Wave Certification must include the most up-to-date security framework to ensure greater protection from cyber intrusion for both Z-Wave products and the global smart home ecosystem. 

Most recently, three updates come to mind that have most dramatically shaped the trajectory of Z-Wave and the Alliance itself. The first is the completed ratification of the Z-Wave Alliance as an independently run, member-driven standards development organization. From there, the Z-Wave Alliance was able to announce the open Z-Wave initiative by way of the Source Code Project which has provided an environment for members to directly contribute to and help shape the future of the Z-Wave technology. In fact, to date, over 130,000 lines of code have been collectively added/changed with more work expected to be completed in 2024 and beyond. Lastly, in 2023, the Z-Wave Alliance announced the availability of an additional silicon resource and certification house for members. This important update provides membership of the Alliance with a new, direct source of Z-Wave silicon chips and modules. 

Each of the advancements outlined above has accumulated over time to completely reshape the structure of the Z-Wave Alliance and empower the organization to be in its strongest position ever to work with members toward the continued domination of Z-Wave technology. 

Z-Wave Alliance is known for its interoperability. How does the technology ensure compatibility among various smart home devices? 

Interoperability amongst Z-Wave devices, regardless of manufacturer or silicon generation, is a pillar of the Z-Wave technology. As an organization, the method through which the Alliance works to guarantee this is the Z-Wave certification program mandate. This process mandates and ensures rigorous compatibility standards for all Z-Wave devices. Within the Z-Wave Alliance, certification is regulated on multiple levels – technical and marketing certification – and is not a one-and-done process. The Z-Wave Alliance continuously works to update and modify integral aspects of certification and launch new programs as needed. For example, with the advent of Z-Wave Long Range, new certification levels have been made available to ensure interoperability with existing Z-Wave devices and the ongoing Z-Wave Certification Plus program will continue to introduce new standards that address key features such as increased range, extended battery life, and improved bandwidth. 

How has Z-Wave Alliance influenced the landscape of home automation, and what role does it play in the broader IoT ecosystem?  

As a technology, Z-Wave, and by extension Alliance membership, have played a vital role in the home automation landscape by providing a reliable, secure, and interoperable platform for smart home devices. Z-Wave plays a vital role in the broader IoT ecosystem by existing as one of the largest collections of smart home solutions certified for interoperability. By the end of 2024, the Z-Wave ecosystem is on track to include over 4,400 devices that have been certified to work across manufacturers, product categories, silicon generation, and more. 

Z-Wave is known worldwide as a leading technology operating within the sub-GHz bandwidth with superior mesh-networking capabilities whereby each node within a deployed network helps to strengthen and repeat the signal. That said, Z-Wave continues to push the envelope and drive the industry through the introduction of new advancements, such as Z-Wave Long Range, which pushes network boundaries beyond the four walls of the home to the edge of the property and beyond.  

Can you share insights into the global adoption of Z-Wave technology? How has the market responded to its solutions? 

With over 100 million Z-Wave devices deployed worldwide and a certified ecosystem on track to include over 4,400 devices across hundreds of manufacturers, it’s safe to say the response to Z-Wave solutions has been tremendous. Globally, Z-Wave technology is available in over 100 countries with different established standards and frequencies in each to ensure the same level of performance around the world. 

Z-Wave, in terms of both the technology and the Alliance, is not resting on our laurels here either. Having been ratified completely as an open-source standards development organization, Z-Wave has entered into a new era and is well-equipped and positioned to usher in another 20 years of advancement and innovation for the smart home and connected IoT space. 

What can we expect in terms of future innovations or advancements in Z-Wave technology? 

The development of Z-Wave Long Range (ZWLR) is a significant advancement, offering increased range and coverage, scalability, and optimized battery life. ZWLR extends Z-Wave connectivity beyond the boundaries of the home and accelerates the adoption of Z-Wave in other verticals, such as light commercial, hospitality, and multi-dwelling units (MDU). Z-Wave Long Range increases the number of end nodes, reduces system cost and complexity with the elimination of repeaters, and improves reliability by combining Z-Wave devices across both a mesh and star network. Z-Wave Long Range offers a maximum wireless range of 1.5 miles when operating in long-range mode at full power. ZWLR also offers increased scalability, optimized battery life including coin cell, and interoperability. 

With the rise of technologies like AI and 5G, how does Z-Wave Alliance plan to integrate or leverage these advancements for enhanced smart home experiences? 

We plan to continue working closely with our members on integrating AI for smarter device management and using 5G as the catalyst for improved connectivity and speed. Both technologies offer numerous opportunities for advancement. AI-enabled smart home devices can learn when homeowners turn off lights or adjust their thermostats, so it happens without a voice command. 5G’s higher bandwidth can help devices run more smoothly without clogging up the home network. Both can be used in concert to beef up homeowner security, with AI able to detect unusual patterns while 5G ensures you get alerts from your security cameras in real-time. 

What challenges does Z-Wave Alliance foresee in the ever-evolving landscape of smart home integration, and how does the technology address them? 

Across the broader smart home space, the Z-Wave Alliance foresees interoperability maintenance amongst the constantly growing number of devices as well as security and new technology advancement adoption to be an ongoing hurdle to mainstream adoption. Fortunately, Z-Wave technology already addresses these challenges through its robust certification program and continuous technological advancements. The certification programs in place for Z-Wave technology are only going to continue to expand and improve as new features and technologies become available, ensuring Z-Wave remains a top choice for homeowners, professional installers, and everyone in between. 

With the recent advancements in AI and the inevitability of new technologies such as 5G, the industry is on the cusp of contextually aware environments and the dawn of the true “smart home”. Technologies and organizations will be forced to continue to keep their ear to the ground and remain nimble as we enter an era of rapid development and advancements. Even established protocols and standards, such as Z-Wave, will need to remain inventive and vigilant to keep pace.   

Security is paramount in the IoT space. How does Z-Wave Alliance ensure the security and privacy of user data and connected devices? 

The Z-Wave protocol ensures the security and privacy of user data and connected devices through the Z-Wave Security 2 (S2) framework.  This framework mandates industry-standard AES128 encryption and secure key exchange, providing robust security against potential attacks. Z-Wave Alliance member companies are also keeping a close eye on new advancements to keep homeowners’ data more secure and regularly suggest and promote that end-users deploy best practices within their home network to ward themselves against nefarious actors. 

The Z-Wave certification program remains as one of the most powerful tools for ensuring both Z-Wave interoperability and security. As of April 2017, every single Z-Wave device submitted for certification is required to implement S2 Security and that security framework is constantly monitored and updated to include and provide updates that continue to secure deployed devices. 

Moving into 2024 and beyond, the Z-Wave Alliance looks forward to announcing updates and advancements made to the security frameworks working to secure hundreds of millions of Z-Wave devices moving forward. 

Z-Wave Alliance has been a key player in partnerships. Can you highlight some significant collaborations that have shaped Z-Wave’s journey? 

The Z-Wave Alliance has been instrumental in forming significant collaborations to continue to be a leader in wireless smart home control, especially within the sub-GHz space.  Most recently, the partnership worth highlighting is the one with Trident IoT, a new technology and engineering company focused on simplifying RF development and decreasing time-to-market for connected device manufacturers. 

For Z-Wave Alliance members, Trident IoT is a new direct supplier of Z-Wave silicon chips and modules and a resource for product design and development services. In conjunction with the creation of Trident IoT, a new U.S.-based Z-Wave Certification laboratory, Solutions for IoT, was also founded to serve Z-Wave Alliance members. The provided services benefit Z-Wave Alliance members – who are the companies responsible for the ecosystem soon to consist of over 4,400 certified devices – in several different, yet critical ways. First, a new U.S.-based certification house makes it even easier for North American manufacturers to communicate and work through the certification process, resolving issues that arise quickly and ultimately, helping get products to market faster. The expertise housed within the new company can help Z-Wave Alliance members continue to innovate and successfully implement new features such as the Z-Wave Long Range. 

Can you elaborate on the success and key features of the Z-Wave 800 Series, particularly its backward compatibility, extended range, and impressive 10-year battery life? 

The Z-Wave 800 Series stands out as a significant advancement in smart home technology, primarily due to its backward compatibility, extended range, and remarkable 10-year battery life. The following features collectively contribute to its success in the market: 

Backward Compatibility: Just as with all versions of Z-Wave that came before it, Z-Wave 800 Series is compatible with existing Z-Wave networks. This empowers users to integrate new 800 Series devices into their current smart home setups without the need to replace older Z-Wave devices. This compatibility ensures a seamless transition for users upgrading their systems and preserves their investment in existing devices.

Extended Range: The Z-Wave 800 Series boasts a significant enhancement in wireless range, especially with the integration of Z-Wave Long Range (LR) capability. This feature allows for a wireless range extending beyond 1.5 miles, a considerable improvement over previous generations. This extended range is particularly beneficial in larger homes or for outdoor devices, ensuring reliable connectivity across greater distances.

Impressive 10-Year Battery Life: The 800 Series dramatically improves battery life, offering up to 10 years on a coin cell battery. This is a 50% increase compared to the Z-Wave 700 Series. This extended battery life is achieved through low sleep and active currents for both the microcontroller unit (MCU) and the radio. This improvement is not only convenient for users by reducing the frequency of battery replacements but also contributes to more sustainable, eco-friendly technology usage.

Enhanced Processing Power: The series features the ARM Cortex-M33 processor, delivering approximately 20% more processing power than the Cortex-M4 found in the 700 series. This increased processing capability enables faster and more efficient handling of complex tasks, enhancing the overall performance of smart home devices.

Network Topology: With Z-Wave 800 Series, Z-Wave mesh and Z-Wave Long Range capabilities are combined into a single SoC. Working in tandem with each other, the Z-Wave mesh topology provides unparalleled reliability while the star network topology leveraged by Z-Wave Long Range produces never-before-seen range performance. 

Advanced Security and Machine Learning Capabilities: The 800 Series is equipped with advanced security features like S2 and Secure Vault, providing top-notch security for IoT applications. Additionally, the inclusion of an AI/ML Hardware Accelerator supports machine learning applications, paving the way for smarter, more adaptive smart home devices.

Can you share details on the first certified Z-Wave Long Range Devices?   

Certainly. The accolade for the first certified Z-Wave Long Range device belongs to Alliance member Universal Electronics for the Ecolink 700 Series Garage Door Controller. This certified device is a perfect example of the type of device that Z-Wave Long Range was designed to enhance given the typical deployment in the garage which can be located quite a distance away from a central point within the home. While Universal Electronics was the very first to complete Z-Wave Long Range (Z-Wave LR) certification in 2022, in the past year a total of 50 Z-Wave Long Range devices have all completed certification.    

How does the Z-Wave to Matter Bridge contribute to future-proofing solutions, and what benefits does it bring to the Z-Wave ecosystem? 

Z-Wave Alliance is deeply committed to the global smart home market, and with Z-Wave certification designed for interoperability, in addition to full backward and forward compatibility among all generations of Z-Wave devices, Z-Wave will prove to be the key to unlocking the promise of Matter. With a large existing install base of Z-Wave and other wireless IoT protocols, Matter + Z-Wave bridges will play a key role in connecting Matter devices to both legacy and new Z-Wave devices.

For the Matter promise of industry-wide interoperability to happen, the hundreds of millions of existing devices, installations, and large ecosystems already in the market must work with emerging ecosystems. True interoperability can only happen with the inclusion of the hundreds of millions of existing Z-Wave and other devices already in the market. With 4,400 certified devices from hundreds of brands expected by the end of 2023, the Z-Wave ecosystem is the largest interoperable sub-GHz catalogue of smart home devices in the market.

Could you share insights into the collaboration with Trident IoT as an additional Z-Wave silicon and module provider?  

Absolutely. As mentioned above, the Z-Wave Alliance celebrated the launch of Trident IoT this past summer. The launch of Trident IoT was beneficial to Z-Wave Alliance members in two major ways. First, it means Trident IoT can serve as a direct supplier of silicon chips and modules. Their ability to do so simply provides Z-Wave Alliance members with a choice and an additional location to source the silicon solutions they need for developing Z-Wave devices. Second, Trident IoT launched to offer product design and development services and empower member companies to leverage the expertise housed within Trident IoT. This launch was a major milestone in helping Z-Wave Alliance members deftly navigate the product development landscape and reduce overall time to market for said devices.  

If someone is interested in becoming a member, how can they reach out? Are there specific contact points or a structured process for inquiries? 

The Z-Wave Alliance welcomes new members and has a wide range of membership levels available to help companies of any size, as well as individuals, join the organization. Those interested in learning more about Z-Wave Alliance membership can visit https://z-wavealliance.org/join-z-wave-alliance-now/. To skip directly to filling out a membership application, interested parties may visit https://z-wavealliance.org/application-process/. For questions about Z-Wave Alliance membership including benefits, feel free to reach out to membership@z-wavealliance.org. 

Click here to read full December issue- https://www.smarthomeworld.in/magazine-december2023/

The post `Matter + Z-Wave bridges will play a key role in connecting Matter devices to both Legacy and new Z-Wave devices.’ appeared first on Smart Home World Magazine.

The Z-Wave Alliance, the standards development organization dedicated to advancing the smart home and Z-Wave Technology, celebrated the launch of Trident IoT, a new technology and engineering company focused on simplifying RF development and decreasing time-to-market for connected device manufacturers. For Z-Wave Alliance members, Trident IoT will directly supply Z-Wave silicon chips and modules, offer product design and development services, and is now officially open for business as a U.S.-based Z-Wave device certification laboratory.

“Trident IoT further fosters the development of new features, enhancements, and custom applications on Z-Wave Technology by offering connected device manufacturers a new direct source for Z-Wave chips and modules, along with personalized product engineering support and U.S.-based Z-Wave certification,” said Mitch Klein, Executive Director of the Z-Wave Alliance.  He further adds, “I’ve had the privilege to work with many of the founders and engineers at Trident IoT over the past decade, both at the Alliance and at Silicon Labs. This industry will benefit tremendously from having an RF-specialized semiconductor partner.”

With an operational Z-Wave certification lab located in New Jersey, Trident IoT is fully equipped and available for compliance testing of end products based on Z-Wave Plus and Z-Wave Plus v2 standards and specifications. Several Z-Wave Alliance manufacturer members have already begun to take advantage of the new certification house, and Trident IoT is standing by to accept and add new devices to the queue.

“By offering U.S.-based Z-Wave device certification, we can make it easier for North American manufacturers to communicate throughout the certification process, resolving issues that arise quickly and ultimately getting products to market faster,” said Mariusz Malkowski, Chief Technology Officer and Founder, Trident IoT. “Our goal is to help Z-Wave device members continue to innovate, making it easier and more efficient for them to successfully implement new features, such as Z-Wave Long Range, which unlocks new use cases with incredible capabilities.”

“These announcements are monumental not only for Z-Wave but for the industry as a whole,” continued Klein. “The mission of the Z-Wave Alliance has always been to foster innovation and broaden the ecosystem of Z-Wave devices. A milestone accomplishment for that mission was completing the Open-Source Z-Wave initiative in 2022. This allows developers and manufacturers to access and collectively contribute to the Z-Wave Technology stack – all to encourage innovation and development. Another milestone has been achieved today, as Z-Wave developers now have access to an additional silicon resource that will help them get their Z-Wave devices to market even faster.”

For More Information: www.tridentiot.com

The post Trident IoT, a New Company, Joins the Z-Wave Alliance to Provide Silicon Chips and More to Members appeared first on Smart Home World Magazine.

Architects and Interior designers often find themselves in a situation, where their clients ask them, why they should opt for Smart Automated Shades and Blinds. We have the answers to all of your questions right here.

Smart automated Shades and Blinds are no longer a fancy option. Gone are the days when their use was restricted to high-end homes and commercial projects because they were expensive! Today, many national and international brands in the market offer various options that are competitively priced. Plus, they can be integrated with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings ecosystems, etc. The most popular brands in this segment are Somfy, Lutron, Hogar Controls, Hunter Douglas, Crestron, Buildwell Motors, A-OK Motors and Funk Motors to name a few.  

Market Drivers

The major reason for the increasing popularity of smart shades and blinds is the latest advancements and the convenience it offers to users. According to Fortune Business Insights, the global blinds and shades market is projected to grow from $6.12 billion in 2022 to $8.76 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 5.27% in the forecast period, 2022-2029.

There are many reasons for the rising demand, and according to Future Market Insights, innovative energy-saving features in blinds and shades are drawing in more customers. Moreover, this is expected to significantly support the concept of smart buildings coupled with distributed energy systems. Growing consumer awareness of customizing product solutions offered by various manufacturers in the blind and shades market is also one of the reasons fueling the growth of the global blinds and shades market.

Smart Shade Controls

There are various types of smart shade controls offered by different manufacturers. The most popular way to operate smart shades will be via Apps. There are dedicated Apps from the maker designed specifically for a given smart shade. In other instances, the smart shade may function with one or more of the popular smart home ecosystems, including Apple HomeKit, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings, and Amazon Alexa.

Smart Displays like the Google Nest Hub or Nest Hub Max can provide touch control for smart shades, though the controls might only be able to open and close the shades in the most basic of ways. Smart shades frequently use Works with Google integrations to connect to Google smart displays. Integrations with Amazon Echo Show displays might also be feasible. Smart speakers are built into smart displays, allowing voice commands to be used with them as well.

The feature of Voice Control with Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, or Google Assistant may indeed be an option for a given smart shade, but enabling that functionality may require an add-on smart speaker or smart home hub.

Many smart shade makers offer a companion Wireless Remote Control option. These can be convenient when you want to operate an individual shade without having to locate your smartphone or try to recall a specific voice command. They can be snapped to the wall or sit on a coffee table for easy access. These may communicate with the smart shade via radio frequency (RF), Z-Wave, Bluetooth, or other wireless communication protocols.

Another option for some brands of smart shades is In-Wall Lighting and Control Systems. These smart lighting controls can be equipped with optional colour LCD touch-screen displays to control smart shades and other devices in addition to replacing standard lighting wall switches. 

Whole-Home Automation Systems are another option that are expensive systems, which system integrators can install, and can integrate motorized and smart shades. They have dedicated on-wall touch panels, remote controls, and mobile device controls.

Smart Home Scenes can also be used to control groups of smart shades. In this case, scenes have been set up to operate all the shades in the house with a single tap, or even just one room at a time. A lockdown scene has been set up to lock all of the doors and secure the smart door locks in addition to simultaneously closing all of the shades.

Smart Home Scenes By tapping a button in an app, scenes allow multiple smart shades to be controlled simultaneously. These scenes can be combined to control other smart home accessories connected to the same network, like smart door locks or smart lighting, and they are simple to set up. Typically, voice control can also be used to run scenes.

Smart Home Ecosystem Integration

The new Matter Standard may change everything over time, but today the compatibility of smart shades between the Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings ecosystems is very mixed.

Smart shades that include onboard Z-Wave or Zigbee radios can offer the best integration across the ecosystems, particularly when used with the Samsung SmartThings platform. They are also a good bet for the long term since they will ultimately work with Matter and are also among the favorites of professional integrators.

The Samsung SmartThings ecosystem offers a broad range of integration options for smart shades. The latest SmartThings hub offers both Z-Wave and Zigbee radios, and can manage an entire home fitted with smart shades and other smart accessories.

Somfy one of the prominent brands in this segment offers curtains and tubular shades that operate flawlessly, are the fastest and quietest shades available, and are compatible with all popular smart-home platforms. They help save energy and improve home security.  Sonesse 50 Ultra are the ultra-quiet motors from Somfy for interior blinds. The newly patented and improved spring brake eliminates stopping and tilting noise. Glydea Ultra is packed with innovations that provide an acoustic performance of less than 38dBA, one of the quietest motorization solutions in the market. Adding Taral Trivedi, Managing Director, Somfy India says, “Somfy offers both motorization and control solutions for various window covering and access applications such as Interior blinds and curtains, Shutters and sun protection, connected home, access management, security. Somfy offers control solutions on open protocol platform of digital and wireless technologies available in the market, reference Dry Contact, RS485, Zigbee, KNX, IFTTT which allows third-party systems to be able to integrate seamlessly with Somfy motors. These controls allow for interoperable options of read and write commands which in turn allows the end user to establish two-way communications where you get reports on status checks and error feedback. Further extending the flexibility of control strategies, Somfy offers API-based services for customized integration with third-party automation systems in the market. Somfy has partnered with leading technology providers and system integrators in the market to offer end-to-end customized solutions.”

Adding insight on the Smart Shades and controls, Jubin Thomas, Territory Sales Manager, Lutron says, “Lutron designs and manufactures smart shades and lighting controls. We don’t just care about the performance of our smart shades such as silent operation and perfect alignment, but also the aesthetics including the shades themselves and the controllers to control the shades. We have various styles of controllers like Palladiom Keypads, Alisse Wall Controls, and a wireless controller named Pico, offering our customers different designs, finishes, and applications to meet their needs. Lutron offers seamless integration between our smart shades and lighting controls and various control option like wired, wireless, timeclock, voice, and mobile app control. On top of this, users can add in sensors like occupancy sensors or daylight sensors. With occupancy sensors, it will allow the shades to open or lights to turn on automatically when a room is occupied, or vice versa. With daylight sensors, the shades will move according to the sun positioning and incoming daylight. This is what Lutron calls total light control with utmost intelligence.”

One of the major components of Smart Shades and Blinds is smart motorization.  It is one of the most important components, while many smart home accessories may operate invisibly in the background, it’s the built-in shade motors whirring in sync with onboard wireless radio chips and software that make smart shades the most convenient choice for users.

One of the most trusted and popular brand that offers a wholesome solution is Hogar Controls. The Brand offers Smart Curtains & Blinds with varying degrees of intelligence based on usage. They have the widest and unique range of products which includes Curtain Motors that support 40-130 KG of load and blind motors which can take 15-150 KG of load. Being a leader in Home Automation they provide multi-protocol compatibility for their motors be it Z-wave, Zigbee, Wi-Fi or KNX. Hogar Controls’ VL40 & VL60 motors are one of the smartest available in this segment. Not only can you connect them with any 3rd party automation, one can use them seamlessly via App and Voice Control without even using any Automation system all together. The motors have an automation chip in built which allows them to operate via Hogar App and Alexa by just connecting to available Wi-Fi Network. And the smart curtain module allows any brand motor be it curtain or blind operate seamlessly on Hogar App.

“Apart from a wide range of Smart Motors we offers smart accessories which includes flexible tracks, Multi-Channel Remotes, Smart receiver, Smart Touch Panels etc. Their USP includes integration with any Smart Home Automation, Super silent motors, compatibility with voice assistants, compatibility with roller, roman, venetian, skyline and zebra blinds, says Jaspreet Singh Bhatia, Vice President Hogar Controls

While Buildwell Motors manufactures tubular and curtain motors that can be used to automate venetian blinds, wooden blinds, roller blinds, and curtains. Their motors can be controlled using their beautiful glass facia RF remotes, Smartphones using Wi- fi or any wired/wireless home automation. Their motors are compatible with all home automation systems. They are the only curtain motor company in India, manufacturing all plastic components, aluminium tracks and metal hardware in-house, which gives them the advantage to control quality in comparison to other companies who import from other countries.

Smart motorization undergoes regular technical updates. The most recent is the AM75 Curtain Motor by A-OK, a new generation Helical Gearbox design Curtain Motor with Superior Performance, good load bearing capacity, being one of the highest in its segment, and can work on multiple platforms such as Home Automation via dry contact, Home Automation via high voltage AC power supply, with a remote control device, as well as voice commands over leading platforms such as Amazon Alexa, Google Home, etc. and loaded with all the leading features.  

Advantages of Shades and Blinds

Light Control, and Comfort.

Whether your goal is to maximize or minimize daylighting, reduce glare, or simply stay comfortable, smart shades can make it easy to automatically control the amount of light coming into your windows to meet the needs of the moment. This modulation can happen many times throughout the day and can be tailored on an individual window or group of windows basis. You may want all of your shades to open at sunrise and close at sunset, or have them open or close at different times during the day based on their orientation to the sun, time of day, and depth of overhangs. Most shades are made from llight-filtering fabrics and can be adjusted by voice control to bring in softened daylight. They are each powered by 8 AA batteries, housed in wands hidden behind the shade housings.

Solar Heat Gain and Loss + Energy Savings.

Automations on a schedule can help minimize solar heat gain through your windows on hot days by closing the shades (to reduce cooling loads), or maximizing solar heat gain on cold days by opening them (to reduce heating loads). These hands-off automations can help save on energy costs throughout the year.

Now that we have understood the technical part we give you the option to select the right type of shades

Types of Smart Shade Designs.

Smart shade types and designs can be as varied as the windows they are intended to cover.

Roller Shades. Roller shades are the most universal of all smart shades, and nearly every manufacturer will offer them in their product line-ups. Mechanically, these are the simplest of all motorized shades and generally require the least amount of lift force from the motor—meaning the batteries tend to last longer. Their cost tends to be at the lower end of the smart shade range.

Layered Shades. Among the newest designs are smart layered shades (often called banded shades or zebra shades), where the shade consists of two layers or fabric with alternating bands of sheer and opaque material. They tend to be at the higher end of the cost range, and can be the most dramatic to watch as they raise, lower, or adjust.

Sheer Shades. Also among the newer designs are smart sheer shades (often called soft blinds), all-fabric shades that have two layers of fabric connected by fabric vanes. They function more like Venetian blinds, and also tend to be at the higher end of the cost range.

Cellular Shades. Cellular shades (also known as honeycomb shades) are also offered by many smart shade manufacturers, and these are generally in the middle of the cost range. They typically offer more energy savings than other designs due to the air trapped inside the cellular vanes.

Venetian Blinds. There are many smart Venetian blinds on the market to choose from. Due to the nature of their design, they tend to be heavier and require more lift force than other designs—so typically the lift operation is not motorized. Instead, the motorization and automation are restricted to tilting the vanes for light control. These shades can be made of aluminum, vinyl, wood, or other materials. Cost tends to be at the lower to middle segments of the range.

Types of Smart Shade Power Options.

Smart shade motorization requires continual access to electrical power. While many smart shades will be powered via batteries, shades operate via wireless connections. Plug-in Power Adapters is also a viable option, particularly where you plan on installing a large number of shades throughout the home. Hard Wiring can be installed on dedicated in-wall control boxes and power supplies in strategic locations. This will enable you to invisibly hide all wires in the walls. Solar Panels are offered by Some manufacturers. In this case, a small solar panel positioned near the shade is used to keep the batteries recharged. This may be a good option where the window location receives sufficient sunlight to fully recharge the batteries each day.

Now that we have cleared all your doubts and provided our readers with the latest updates we are sure you are confident to make the right choice.

The post Latest Innovations In Smart Shades And Blinds appeared first on Smart Home World Magazine.

The Z-Wave Alliance has declared that the Z-Wave Source Code Project is complete, and will be opening up Z-Wave development and allowing members to contribute code to determine the protocol’s future under the guidance of the new OS Work Group (OSWG).

The project’s objective is to offer a comprehensive development environment with the pertinent source code and sample applications to individuals looking to directly contribute to the evolution of the Z-Wave standard. It has been published and made available to Alliance members on GitHub.

A new required Silicon & Stack Certification procedure will also regulate the quality and interoperability of goods using Z-Wave Source Code. Z-Wave S2 security, network connectivity, range, battery life, and interoperability, including backward and forward compatibility, will all continue to be tested for and certified by full Z-Wave certification.

“The Z-Wave Alliance is deeply committed to the global smart home market,” said Mitch Klein, executive director of the Z-Wave Alliance. “This year, the smart home conversations have focused largely on Matter. Shiny and new, and with big brands supporting the initiative, Matter is bringing a lot of attention to the smart home. This makes it easy to overlook Z-Wave as the most established, trusted, and secure smart home protocol, which also happens to have the largest certified interoperable ecosystem in the market. We firmly expect that Z-Wave will play a key role in connecting devices and delivering the experience users really want.”

While the Source Code project was ongoing, Z-Wave experienced growth achieving milestones such as the availability of Z-Wave Long Range (LR) certification, surpassing 4,100 certified Z-Wave devices on the market, and seeing 90 million new Z-Wave devices enter the market since 2020.

In 2020, when Z-Wave Alliance announced that Silicon Labs was contributing the Z-Wave code to the organisation, the Alliance was re-incorporated as an independently run, member-driven non-profit Standards Development Organisation (SDO). Over the last 20 months, technical working groups specific to features such as the physical layer working group (mac/PHY), networking layer working group, application layer working group (command class specification), and security working group have collaborated to complete the Z-Wave Source Code project.

Executed in beta testing and shared with members of the Z-Wave Member Summit, Exegin Technologies completed the Z-Wave Source Code porting to third-party silicon. The operation is Outlined in a blog on the Z-Wave Alliance website. The proof-of-concept network demonstrates how the Z-Wave Source Code package will provide developers and manufacturers with flexible implementations from the controller (hub/bridge) to end devices.

Further extrapolated, the implementation could be for both new controllers, such as Z-Wave/Matter compatible bridges, and for Z-Wave or Z-Wave/Matter end devices.

Silicon Labs, one of the primary code contributors to both Matter and Z-Wave, has developed a multi-protocol software development kit, the Unify SDK, for Matter-based hubs and bridges. The software tool provides for interoperability between the different wireless IoT protocols, including Z-Wave and Matter. The Unify SDK offers a how-to kit for manufacturers and developers to connect both new and legacy Z-Wave devices with new Matter devices.

Klein added: “This is going to be an incredible year for the smart home industry and an exciting time for verticals we see growing including MDU, hospitality, energy and insurance. As an SDO. Membership is the key to the future of Z-Wave technology. With a new Board of Directors, led by Amazon’s Jonathan Adams and John Osborne II who chaired Project CHIP, the industry will start to recognise and embrace all the shiny parts of Z-Wave.”

The post The Completed Z-Wave Source Code Project is Now Accessible to Members appeared first on Smart Home World Magazine.

The cutting-edge technology certification offers a higher level of security while ensuring power consumption.

The wireless, interoperable communication protocol Z-Wave is an RF-based technology, ideated and developed especially for monitoring and reading status of the residential and commercial environments. Offering affordable, reliable and user-friendly smart products to millions of people, Z-Wave is being broadly used in a wide range of smart home applications like lighting, security, entertainment. Today, more than 300 manufacturers are adopting this technology and using it in thousands of devices. For Z-Wave vendors to create their products, there are various open-source options available. All they need is a Z-Wave transceiver and a Z-Wave OEM to kickstart the production.

“Z-Wave is the first wireless protocol on SoC specifically developed for Home Automation. The main advantage of Z-Wave is interoperability and after two decades, still, Z-Wave is the only SOC with a wide range of devices with the best interoperability compared to Zigbee, Bluetooth mesh and Wi-Fi. Z-Wave alliance was formed in 2005 and being part of the Z-wave alliance gives credibility and assurance of the quality of products to the customer and best of all to mix and match products across brands and manufacturers. The Z-Wave ecosystem encompasses more than 3,000 interoperable products from more than 700 leading worldwide brands. Confio Technologies takes pride in being the only manufacturer of the Z-Wave Alliance program from India since the year 2015. Confio is OEM and ODM two of Forbes top 10 Automation companies in the world. Our products use the reliability of Z-wave along with rugged specifications to meet the tough Indian electrical conditions. 

With an in-house team of 60+ engineers, Confio products have been designed ground up and can maintain one of the smallest form factors. Along with a five-year warranty for builders participating in the RERA program. With a growing list of products from Lighting dimmers to Fan controllers and cyber security certified Gateway & APP, Confio is now a global brand. The products are now being sold in Asia Pacific, Europe and very soon in the USA”, says Siva Nutalapati, Founder, Confio Home Automation. 

Keeping in mind the band restrictions in different geographies, Z-Wave offers distinct legally admissible frequencies to various regions. With a longer wavelength and lower frequency, Z-Wave can effortlessly penetrate objects and walls, while setting up a faster and dependable communication topology between the Z-Wave devices. Using a source-routed mesh network, which comprises one primary node, also known as hub and numerous secondary nodes, referred to as sensors, the technology operates in the sub-1GHz band.

The Z-Wave networks identify primary controllers by network IDs and secondary nodes by Node IDs. The Network IDs are assigned to all configured devices by the primary controller. Therefore, all devices feature the same Network ID within a Z-Wave network. The mesh network topology allows the primary controller to send messages to the remotely located target Z-Wave device, by routing the signal through the interposed devices. Wall switches, alarm systems, lighting solutions, Z-Wave locks, roller shutters are among the Z-Wave products, widely available in the market.

Primary Features

• Using low transmission power, Z-Wave promises 3-5 years of battery life. 
• Z-Wave provides a 100 kbps data rate along with high security through AES128 encryption.
• Z-Wave communication protocol will never interfere with Wi-Fi or any other signals within a house, as it works on a different frequency.  
• Up to 232 configured devices can be controlled by a Z-Wave network.
• It is widely used in smart home security systems and enables the users to club applications like security, entertainment and lighting automation by offering the facility of interoperability among devices working on Z-Wave.
• It is the second most popular communication protocol after ZigBee, which works at 2.4 GHz wireless frequency, whereas Z-Wave operates at 900 MHz.

Z-Wave by itself is a revolutionary technology because it transformed the whole smart home industry landscape. Gone were the days when one had to build a home with special wiring and specialised switches to make it smart. “Z-Wave is completely wireless and retrofit, which means it effortlessly automates every home, whether old or now, without the need for civil work. This has widened the market for smart home installers, who now can automate a home within days, which previously took months. This is why Fibaro, which has been associated with Z-Wave for more than a decade, has a huge variety of devices including the most powerful processor in the smart home industry based on this technology. The significant benefit of the Fibaro smart home system is edge processing, so it does not depend on the internet for its intelligence, making the whole solution nimble and fast, in addition to other advantages like comfort, security and power savings. Furthermore, Fibaro provides open APIs that help installers to integrate it with hundreds of other smart home devices as well as add on Fibaro devices to update existing wired smart homes based on technologies like KNX. All these add immense value to the discerning end customer”, says Fazlur Rehman, Drasis Software Solutions Pvt Ltd.

The post Z-Wave Creating Tidal Waves In The Smart Home Industry! appeared first on Smart Home World Magazine.

The Z-Wave Alliance has welcomed smart home company and long-time adopter of Z-Wave, Vivint Smart Home, as its latest Principle Member, which also includes a seat on the organisation’s board of directors.

Last year saw the Z-Wave Alliance transition to a non-profit standards development organisation and has been actively recruiting smart home and IoT companies to join the new member-driven organisation structure.

Vivint delivers an integrated smart home security system that includes a number of Z-Wave certified devices across home security, access control, lighting, and more. It will join the existing Alliance board members which include Alarm.com, Assa Abloy, LEEDARSON, Ring, Silicon Labs, StratIS, and Qolsys, most recently appointing principle member ADT in November.

“Vivint is a long-time advocate of Z-Wave technology and recognises its benefits for creating seamless user experiences for our customers,” said Jim Nye, Vivint Smart Home’s chief product officer. “As we embark on a new year, we are looking forward to our partnership with the Z-Wave Alliance and to supporting Z-Wave’s growth in the larger smart home market in 2021 and beyond.”

“We are delighted that Vivint has committed to driving the Z-Wave standard forward under our new member-driven SDO organisation,” said Mitch Klein, director of strategic partnerships – IoT, Silicon Labs/executive director of the Z-Wave Alliance.

“We remain dedicated to our members and to advancing the Z-Wave technology as an open standard for smart home. Given Vivent’s impressive background in smart home, and long-standing commitment to supporting Z-Wave technology, the Alliance is thrilled to have their continued support.”

The post Vivint Smart Home joins Z-Wave Alliance as Principle Member appeared first on Smart Home World Magazine.