Google, Amazon, and Apple team up to develop IP-based smart home connectivity standard

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Google, Amazon, Apple and other tech companies have teamed up to develop a smart home connectivity standard that makes it easier for software and devices to work together in a smart home ecosystem.

The new working group, called Connected Home Over IP, will be led by the Zigbee Alliance, the group of companies that developed and maintains the Zigbee standard, and will allow close-range devices in the home to communicate with each other (think light switches, smart speakers, door locks, etc.).

Smart home devices can use any number of protocols, such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Wireless USB, Z-Wave, and ZigBee. Google has also developed two open source protocols called Weave and Thread. These different protocols have their own inherent benefits and may attract various device manufacturers and IoT system manufacturers for different reasons, but manufacturers must invest more resources to ensure that their devices are compatible with other devices. Therefore, the working group is working to reach a common standard for smart homes based on the Internet Protocol (IP).

“Despite the abundance of smart home devices, the lack of industry-wide connectivity standards has caused confusion and frustration as people try to understand the devices in each smart home ecosystem,” Google noted in a blog post. “Our goal is to bring together market-tested technologies to develop a new, open, Internet Protocol-based smart home connectivity standard. ”

The global smart home market is expected to be worth $175 billion by 2025, and all the big tech companies are investing heavily in the industry. Google sells a range of connected devices under its Nest brand, Amazon creates everything from connected speakers to microwaves and clocks, and Apple continues to invest in its silicon-filled HomePod smart speaker. Given that consumers are likely to buy a range of connected devices, apps, and cloud services from multiple companies, a common standard would be in everyone's best interest.

"The goal of the Connected Home over IP project is to simplify development for manufacturers and increase compatibility for consumers, " Apple said in a separate statement. "The project is based on a shared belief that smart home devices should be safe, secure, and seamless to use. "

Other members of the ZigBee Alliance, Samsung Smart Home, IKEA, NXP Semiconductors, Signify and Silicon Labs will also join the working group to contribute to the standard. All participating companies will contribute some of their technologies, including Google's IP-based Weave and Thread.

While it’s too early to say what will come out of this collaboration, it’s noteworthy that the industry’s major hardware, software, and cloud players have chosen to participate in this project. A cross-platform open standard that any company can use without licensing fees may be just the key to taking smart home technology to the next level.

Leifeng.com Compiled by VentureBeat