The ZigBee Alliance, an association of companies working together to enable wirelessly networked monitoring and control products based on an open global standard, announced 16 new member companies have joined, bringing its membership to more than 100 companies. New member companies include: Cisco Systems Inc.; Control4; ELDAT Gesellschaft fur Electronik und Datentechnik mbH; Exegin Technologies Ltd.; France Telecom R&D LLC; Golden Power Manufacturing Inc.; MaxStream Inc.; Niko N.V.; Novar Controls; Orange Logic; SDSystem Co. Inc.; Shinko Electric Industries Co. Ltd.; Smarthome Inc.; Telematics Wireless Ltd.; TenXTechnology Inc.; and Yamatake Corp.
The ZigBee Alliance has more than doubled its membership in the last year. Its membership base now represents an astounding 22 countries on four continents, signifying the worldwide interest in ZigBee. All Alliance members will continue to participate in ongoing interoperability testing to insure their products are ready to take advantage of the specification once it is completed. Most recently, the ZigBee Alliance concluded another successful interoperability testing event in Denver. “The tremendous level of interest expressed by so many global leaders across a broad range of markets underscores the need for wirelessly networked monitoring and control products based on an open global standard,” said Bob Heile, chairman of the ZigBee Alliance. “As our membership continues to expand, so does our potential to deliver innovative applications based on ZigBee. ZigBee’s newest members will join in the market roll-out of the initial specification, working to deliver a global interoperable standard for the advancement of easily deployable, low cost, low power, wireless communication products.”
Illustrating its growing momentum, the ZigBee Alliance had a significant presence at the Wireless Connectivity (WiCon) Americas, on November 9–10, 2004, in Santa Clara, CA. The ZigBee Alliance hosted a press and analyst reception, was on hand to discuss advances in the wireless market and hosted a ZigBee Pavilion to showcase ZigBee-ready products from Airbee, CompXs, Ember, Freescale Semiconductor, Millenial Net, Motorola, OKI and ZMD. Also at WiCon, ZigBee chairman, Bob Heile, was joined by Jon Adams of Freescale Semiconductor, chairman of ZigBee’s Interoperability Working Group, Pat Kinney of Kinney Consulting, secretary of the Alliance, and Venkat Bahl of Ember Corp., vice chairman of the Alliance, to lead sessions on where ZigBee fits in the short range wireless market, offer a tutorial on the IEEE 802.15.4 global standard, reflect on key market requirements for sensors and controls, and preview future applications, markets and protocols.
ZigBee is the only standards-based technology designed to address the unique needs of low cost, low power, wireless sensor networks for remote monitoring, home control and building automation network applications in the industrial and consumer markets. Companies who want to have input on developing the ZigBee specification and create ZigBee products can join by visiting: www.zigbee.org/en/join/.