Apple and Google-backed smart home standard will launch in 2021
What you need to know
- An alliance of companies is working to create a unified standard for the smart home industry.
- Project Connected Home over IP is backed by Apple, Amazon, and Google.
- The latest update says the platform is on track for a release next year.
The Zigbee Alliance has announced that Project Connected Home over IP, a plan to unify smart home connectivity with a single standard platform, is on track to be released next year.
In an announcement yesterday, the group stated:
The group says it has grown "by an order of magnitude" and now boasts more than 145 active companies, and that it is beginning to focus on the smart home devices that it will initially target such as "lighting and electrical (e.g., light bulbs, luminaires, controls, plugs, outlets), HVAC controls (e.g., thermostats, AC units), access control (e.g., door locks, garage doors), safety and security (e.g., sensors, detectors, security systems), window coverings/shades, TVs, access points, bridges and others."
The Zigbee Alliance announced back in December its plan to simplify the development of home automation accessories and appliances by creating a secure, reliable and seamless standard of connectivity that can be used by all smart home manufacturers to improve the user experience. It could in theory lead to far better integration of smart home devices so that customers have much more variety and choice when it comes to smart home automation, rather than finding themselves boxed into one single ecosystem. The latest report says we may get to reap the benefits of the venture as early as 2021.
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Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design. Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9