There is another format war happening right now that doesn’t involve optical media. In fact, ZigBee and Z-Wave have been battling for some time now for control over your home’s automation needs. The two formats utilize RF networks to control light switches, universal remotes, thermostats, coffee makers, and such. However, ZigBee has been working on an update for a few years and might be what the format needed to overtake Z-Wave.
ZigBee Pro, as the update is called, will allow for communication between different manufacturer’s products and so far some big names have jumped on board including Control4 which has been using ZigBee for years.
As soon as the ZigBee Pro spec is released, all one million or so Control4 devices can be updated via new firmware. According to Eric Smith, the CFO of Control4, LG TVs, Black & Decker door locks, Mechoshade’s blinds, and CardAccess has already committed to the new standard and will soon have Pro devices that will work nicely with each other. The future is looking bright for the wireless home automation spec.
Now if the rest of the home-control companies like Crestron, AMX, and Colorado vNet will adapt the new spec, we could almost call this format war finished.
In about five years 90% of products used in automation projects will be Zigbee Pro enabled. I, not Solar Control, LLC, believe that either (xor) Crestron or AMX will integrate with it. The other will stick with their proprietary systems. There are security applications where any form of wireless is simply not secure enough.
Interesting article. Thank you.