Z-Wave Alliance Unveils Key Tasks for 2016
375 member companies, 1,500 certified products, 50 million devices launched on the market

Will Z-Wave become the new security powerhouse of the IoT era?

The Z-Wave Alliance ( http://z-wavealliance.org) announced that it achieved continued growth, formed new partnerships, unveiled plans for online consumer education, and strengthened security for Z-Wave IoT devices throughout the year. It also announced that so far this year, over 100 new member companies have joined the Z-Wave ecosystem, 250 devices have been certified, and 15 million smart home devices have been launched into the market.

According to data from Parks Associates, one in five U.S. households currently owns a smart home device, and the market is growing globally. Additionally, consumer support requests for connected home devices are projected to reach approximately 11 million in the future.

Accordingly, the Z-Wave Alliance and its member companies are giving greater thought to the best ways to educate, service, and support consumers new to the smart home market. The Alliance's Consumer Working Group has established a consumer portal, Z-Wave.com, which features various tips, best practices, and frequently asked questions regarding Z-Wave smart home solutions. Through this, the consumer-dedicated group provides tools to find the best smart home solutions for consumers' lives.

▲ The Z-Wave Alliance stated that 2015 was a "special growth year" for the market introduction of the Z-Wave platform. Photo taken from the website.

Mitchell Klein, Executive Director of the Z-Wave Alliance, said, “Amidst a home security market at its peak, a growing mobile telecommunications industry, and a consumer electronics industry poised for a leap forward, 2015 was a year of exceptional growth for the market introduction of the Z-Wave platform.”

They also stated, “Our goal for 2016 is to seek partnerships that will prove Z-Wave is part of every smart home solution, launch an IoT security system that will make Z-Wave devices the safest on the market, and provide resources to educate consumers about the benefits of smart homes.”

The Z-Wave ecosystem is expanding across the smart home and home IoT sectors in core and emerging markets through partnerships with global mobile operators such as China Unicom and France's Orange Telecom, as well as the establishment of new installer training programs and consolidator-level memberships.

The goal for 2016 is for Z-Wave to be part of all smart home solutions.
Seeking partnerships to prove its worth, and Z-Wave devices in the market
Launching an IoT security system that will make you the safest,
Providing resources to inform consumers of the benefits of smart homes

The announcement of the Z-Wave Security 2 (S2) system signifies that the Z-Wave standard holds the most important position in IoT security for smart home products, and that households using Z-Wave devices are virtually free from the fear of hacking.

Pax AssociatesTom Kerber, Research Director at ZWave’s Home Controls & Energy division, stated, “In 2016, new smart connected products will flood the market. While cutting-edge products will appeal to consumers, true value depends on whether consumers have access to a complete product ecosystem,” adding, “The rapidly growing ZWave Alliance ecosystem will continue to maintain its dominance in the professional security and smart home sectors.”

In 2015, Z-Wave Alliance membership grew by 30%, adding over 100 new member companies. Embracing a diverse range of members, the Z-Wave Alliance not only offered a new membership level for integrated operators but also introduced a new certification training program. This was intended to share tools and best practices with installers setting up Z-Wave smart home solutions.

In addition, the Alliance continued to support startups and entrepreneurs in the smart home sector through the Z-Wave Labs competition, along with the Installer Program. The Alliance selected a total of six winning teams from among the corporate and individual participants of the Z-Wave Labs competition and awarded them full membership in the Alliance and Z-Wave IoT development kits.