ZigBee Alliance Passes 300 ZigBee Certified Products Milestone

SAN RAMON, Calif., Aug. 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The ZigBee® Alliance, a global ecosystem of companies creating wireless solutions for use in energy management, commercial and consumer applications, today announced it has certified 341 ZigBee Certified products. This growth is more than 80 percent over last year's 187 ZigBee Certified products.

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ZigBee standards have been adopted by more than 350 global manufacturers with representing annual revenues exceeding $1 trillion, according to a 2010 report from ONWorld. The ZigBee Certified products are used by millions of consumers and businesses worldwide. The growing list of ZigBee standards, now at 10, appeal to manufacturers wanting to offer their customers smart, green and easy-to-use products on an interactive wireless sensor and control network.

"We attribute much of the increase in ZigBee Certified products to the Alliance's focus on developing standards that address specific market needs," said Bob Heile, chairman of the ZigBee Alliance. "ZigBee offers much more than just point-to-point connectivity found in many wireless offerings today. ZigBee builds the true Internet of Things. Only ZigBee offers highly reliable, energy efficient, low-power, wireless mesh networking specifically designed to run standards that solve problems. The ZigBee Certified program assures buyers of all types that every product wearing the ZigBee Certified logo performs reliably and delivers the features and functionality defined by our standards."

The ZigBee Certified program tests the functionality and interoperability of products using ZigBee standards and specifications. The certification of products is a critical part of the ZigBee Alliance's standards development process. Unlike most other standards groups, the testing and certification of products is required before any ZigBee standard or specification is released for use.  The ZigBee Certified process allows manufacturers to deliver a variety of products to customers of all types who can benefit from the simplicity of ZigBee control. To learn more about the ZigBee Certified program, visit: http://zigbee.org/Products/ZigBeeCertifiedProgram.aspx

The following standards include newly ZigBee Certified products that carried ZigBee past the 300-product milestone. To see a full list of products, visit: http://zigbee.org/Products/Overview.aspx

ZigBee Smart Energy – As the global industry leader, ZigBee Smart Energy provides the core standard for monitoring, controlling and automating the delivery and smart use of energy and water to help consumers live a greener lifestyle. More than 170 ZigBee Certified products are available today and include a range of products covering energy service portals, meters, displays, programmable communicating thermostats and smart plugs.

ZigBee Home Automation – With 28 ZigBee Certified products providing the easy-to-use control offered by ZigBee Home Automation, consumers, do-it-yourself and professional installers can easily create smart homes. These smart homes give consumers more control of home appliances, lighting, security, heating and cooling systems, allowing them to use less energy while creating more comfortable and convenient homes.

ZigBee Telecom Services – Launched in 2010, ZigBee Telecom Services enables delivery of value-added services ideally suited for mobile network operators, businesses and government agencies. Today, 13 ZigBee Certified products offer a variety of communication platforms, access points, terminals and location nodes.

ZigBee Remote Control – Introduced in 2010, ZigBee Remote Control removes the line-of-sight restrictions that have frustrated consumers' use of previous remote control products. It also delivers two-way communication, longer range of use than traditional infrared remote control products and extended battery life. The Alliance has certified the first ZigBee Remote Control product.

ZigBee Compliant Platform – ZigBee Compliant Platforms are at the heart of every ZigBee Certified product and every platform is tested for ZigBee specification compliance before being sold. This quality control program ensures the supply chain has a solid foundation for products of all types. Today, 119 platforms are ZigBee Certified.

ZigBee Manufacturer Specific Profile – There are 10 Manufacturer Specific Profile (MSP) products now ZigBee Certified. ZigBee MSP products are manufacturer-specific and address a variety of consumer, commercial and industrial needs not requiring multi-vendor interoperability. Each product is tested for successfully using ZigBee networking.  

This year, the Alliance expanded into new application areas with the completion of its latest standards, ZigBee Input Device and ZigBee Gateway.  Development continues on ZigBee 3D Sync for active 3D glasses and on ZigBee Retail Services for improved shopping experiences. With each standard completed, more manufacturers will seek the official ZigBee Certified designation, further expanding the ZigBee ecosystem of control products for consumers and businesses.

ZigBee: Control your world

ZigBee offers green and global wireless standards connecting the widest range of devices to work together intelligently and help you control your world. The ZigBee Alliance is an open, non-profit association of approximately 400 members driving development of innovative, reliable and easy-to-use ZigBee standards. The Alliance promotes worldwide adoption of ZigBee as the leading wirelessly networked, sensing and control standard for use in consumer, commercial and industrial areas. For more information, visit: www.ZigBee.org.

SOURCE ZigBee Alliance