The Z-Wave Alliance responsible for advancing the Z-Wave wireless smart home protocol has announced that it will offer the Certified Installer Toolkit (CIT) to interested integrators at the Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2018 event starting today. CIT assists integrators in setting up and maintaining Z-Wave networks. In addition and supports a wide range of languages. Moreover, integrators who purchase CIT from the Z-Wave Alliance at ISE 2018 will receive their first year of membership for a single dollar. Moreover, the organization stated that its integrators will receive future software upgrades for free as long as they remain in good standing. Meanwhile, for those who are already members of the Alliance, they may also purchase additional toolkits from it during the event.
Aside from offering toolkits to interested integrators, the Z-Wave Alliance will showcase several products designed and manufactured by its members at its ISE 2018 pavilion. The booth will feature smart locks, Internet of Things sensors, and entertainment controls designed and released by tech companies like Aeotec, ASSA ABLOY, eZLO, Fifthplay, Hogar Controls, LEEDARSON, Neeo, Oblo Living, and UTC.
The Z-Wave wireless home control protocol is currently being used by more than 2,400 products, the organization bosts. The chipsets that employ the protocol are designed to be affordable, secure, and power-efficient. For example, a recently launched chipset that takes advantage of the wireless protocol from Sigma Designs offers a battery life of up to ten years on a single coin cell battery. Furthermore, the data relayed by the Z-Wave protocol is encrypted using the AES128 standard, the organization is quick to point out. Another key feature of the technology is its interoperability with devices released by third-party OEMs which ultimately delivers more consumer choice. In addition, the technology transmits data on frequencies lower than 1GHz, preventing interference with other wireless technologies like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Devices that utilize the standard are capable of covering distances of around 300 feet, allowing more flexibility for smart home installations. Meanwhile, the Amazon Echo Plus is also compatible with the Z-Wave protocol and is one of the most popular IoT gadgets to promote the emerging communications standard which has been gaining significant momentum in recent times.