New ZigBee Telecom Services: Maximizing Mobile Communication

SAN RAMON, Calif., March 24 /PRNewswire/ -- The ZigBee® Alliance, a global ecosystem of companies creating wireless solutions for use in energy management, residential, commercial and consumer electronics applications, today announced it completed development of ZigBee Telecom Services™, a new public application profile standard defining value added services for mobile network operators, businesses and governments. ZigBee Telecom Services, developed by several leading wireless carriers, telecom equipment manufacturers and other interested stakeholders in the Alliance, defines an affordable and easy way for mobile network operators to offer innovative new low data rate based services that reach almost anyone using a mobile phone, freeing up scarce 3G/4G infrastructure for higher end services. 

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With ZigBee Telecom Services, consumers can use their mobile phones to pay for products and services, create their own gaming and communication networks, receive product promotional information along with discounts or coupons from retailers, and determine their location and obtain directions or information on public spaces in indoor malls and environments without the need for GPS. In the business environment, employees can manage their authentication and access to office services and controlled areas.  A white paper from network operators and telecom equipment manufacturers detailing these and other use cases is available for download at www.zigbee.org/telecomservices.

"No single wireless technology standard can bring as many low data rate intensive value added solutions to the mobile user as ZigBee Telecom Services," said Bob Heile, chairman of the ZigBee Alliance. "ZigBee Telecom Services offers a new way for mobile network operators to provide numerous opportunities to expand current services and generate new revenues with one technology.  It also presents a new low cost path to reduce strain on networks and help consumers maximize their mobile experience."

The ZigBee Telecom Services defines a standard methodology for delivering a variety of services, including:

• Information Delivery – subscription-based information delivered by network operators includes weather, public safety, traffic status, municipal notices, small file downloads, RSS feeds for news and stock markets.
• Location Based Services – identifying a mobile device's location within building complexes and malls, crowd tracking, and delivering location information, discounts, product information, listing of stores and services in area based on user interest.
• Secure Mobile Payment – secure payment for goods and services in stores, parking lots, movie theatres and toll stations, etc. by simply approaching a check-out point and entering a PIN on the phone, with network operators providing authentication for the payment.
• Mobile Gaming – hundreds of players can connect their mobile devices in their vicinity with authentication by their network operator to play multi-player games.
• Voice – push-to-talk communication between ZigBee equipped devices within a 20+ meter range (75 feet).
• Peer-to-Peer Data Sharing –  Small files such as ring tones, images, address book contacts and other information provided by network operators is shared easily between two ZigBee-enabled mobile devices
• Mobile Device Office Management and Control – provides employers with a simple, convenient and effective means to manage physical access control to facilities, office data systems and other services by their employees.

ZigBee will be embedded as one of the standard communications capabilities in mobile phones. Today, ZigBee enabled SIM cards have been developed for both the European and Korean markets that provide a fully integrated experience for GSM phones.  Other similar aftermarket solutions are also expected, enabling a large variety of existing phones to be used with ZigBee Telecom Services and as well as other ZigBee application environments.

ZigBee Telecom Services joins a growing list of public application profiles available today from the Alliance including ZigBee Smart Energy™, ZigBee Home Automation™, ZigBee Remote Control™ and ZigBee Health Care™.  Two other profiles, ZigBee Retail Services™ and ZigBee Building Automation™, are in development.

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 340 members 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 electronic, energy, home, commercial and industrial areas. For more information, visit:  www.ZigBee.org.  

SOURCE ZigBee Alliance