Date: 14/12/2017
The Zigbee Alliance and Thread Group offer Dotdot specs over Thread’s IP network
Zigbee Alliance and Thread Group made available of the Dotdot specification over Thread’s IP network supporting an open, and interoperable IoT language over a low-power wireless IP network.
“We’re at an exciting point in the Smart Home where the broader consumer market is embracing mainstream connected products; 26% of consumers own a smart home device according to our new research,” said Tom Kerber, Director of IoT Strategy at Parks Associates. “To be competitive in a market where consumers will rely on these devices for years to come, companies must take a long-term view, aligning with technologies that will enable innovation and interoperability, and continue to deliver on the promise of the IoT for every stakeholder.”
Dotdot created by Zigbee Alliance is a universal language for the IoT, making it possible for smart objects to work together on any network. Thread is the Thread Group’s open, IPv6-based, low-power, secure and future-proof mesh networking technology for IoT products. Zigbee Alliance and Thread Group joined hands in offering mature, scalable solution for IoT interoperability that isn’t confined to single-vendor ecosystems or technologies.
The idea behind Dotdot over Thread is to help product and platform vendors to ensure interoperable user experiences needed to drive growth, while IP allows vendors to maintain a direct connection to their device and their customers. Dotdot enables the open, mature, and already widely adopted application layer at the heart of Zigbee to work across Thread’s IP network.
“Zigbee and Dotdot are the product of 15 years of innovation by our members, and the experience that comes from over a decade of building successful products,” said Tobin Richardson, Zigbee Alliance president and CEO. “This maturity is why major technology leaders have chosen Zigbee, and Dotdot over Thread now brings that value to new markets. This marks the first of many partnerships to come as we extend our application layer across additional networks to accelerate time to market and unify the IoT for all stakeholders.”
“The Thread Group’s vision is to extend IP - the powerful foundation of the internet - to low-power IoT devices,” said Grant Erickson, president of the Thread Group. “Just like the internet, this vision also requires the industry to put forth open, common protocols so devices from any vendor can work together. Dotdot gives Thread adopters an important option for that open, end-to-end connectivity and interoperability.”
Availability: The Dotdot specification is available today to Zigbee Alliance members. Additional resources, including the Dotdot Commissioning Application, will be available in Summer 2018, along with the opening of the Dotdot Certification program from the Zigbee Alliance. Thread launched its 1.1 specification and opened its certification program in February 2017. The Zigbee Alliance and Thread Group now share a number of common authorized test service providers, and are working with them to ensure an efficient, seamless certification process for Dotdot over Thread adopters. More information on this program will be announced soon.
To learn more about Dotdot over Thread register for a free webinar, co-hosted by the Thread Group and Zigbee Alliance, on December 14, 2017. You can also learn and experience Dotdot over Thread by seeing live demos from Legrand, MMB Networks, NXP, OSRAM, Resolution, Silicon Labs, Volansys, Yale and Zen Thermostat at CES.