Huawei has joined the ZigBee Alliance and been appointed to the board of the Internet of Things technology player.
ZigBee is one of the short-range low power wireless technologies competing within the smart home and retail sectors, connecting the likes of energy meters, lighting and home automation services. Rivals include Bluetooth and Thread.
David Randolph Hoelscher, Chief Marketing Director, IoT Platform, Huawei, said: “The ZigBee Alliance is heading in the right direction with regards to the IoT, and we are throwing our support behind ZigBee technology as the cornerstone of this new era of device intelligence. The Internet of Things is changing how we interact with everyday items around us, and to reach the full potential driving this shift, industries – and more specifically, manufacturers – must coordinate to ensure the user experience is at the heart of every innovation.”
The ZigBee Alliance counts companies including Bosch, ARM, LG and Samsung as members.
Its President and CEO Tobin Richardson said: “Interoperability, collaboration and shared success are vital components as our industry defines and designs for the interconnected world. There’s so much potential for significant and meaningful connectivity, and having Huawei join our circle of visionaries and experts is truly another indication that we’re attracting the strongest IoT market players to make that happen.”
In spite of the optimism, new research released last month claimed ZigBee would face considerable challenges amid the evolving landscape of Bluetooth functionality and devices.
ABI Research said Bluetooth 5 is the company’s attempt to muscle into the smart home and the IoT.