Sigma unveiled their latest line of Z-Wave smart home technology products this week that promises to make the integration of smart home technology as easy as possible for manufacturers, developers and consumers.
Sigma specializes in system-on-a-chip products which are designed for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and service providers who can use the chips to add smart home wireless internet connectivity to any product they already produce, to easily enter the rapidly growing smart home market.
“Quick and efficient deployment, cost reductions, and an improved customer experience are all goals that our partners strive to achieve," Gabi Hilevitz, vice president and general manager of home connectivity at Sigma Designs, said in a release. "The Z-Wave Next Gen platform empowers developers through a flexible yet simplified solution that allows them to focus on consumers' needs, while significantly reducing their time to market."
The new line of Z-Wave products is made up of several components that work together.
Z-Ware is the middleware to be used by developers and manufacturers to fill in the space between the hardware that Sigma has designed and the software that the end user will interact with.
Z-Ware Apps are the front end that the consumer will use. Sigma designed a cohesive interface to offer a reliable user experience across any device.
ZIPR is a reference design handling all communication between the hardware.
Z/IP Gateway takes requests coming in from the internet and translates them for and delivers them to the Z-Wave devices.
UZB is a new system to allow Z-Wave devices to work with ordinary USB ports.
Next Gen 500 Series chips are the brain behind the whole operation, with more power, RAM and features than any prior smart home system.
"Z-Wave has made significant steps forward on multiple levels. The Z-Ware platform, Z/IP gateways, and Next Gen 500 series chips and modules provide an end-to-end solution that allows manufacturers and service providers to bring products to market faster,” Tom Kerber, Director of Research, Home Controls & Energy, Parks Associates, said. “Z-Wave products will have greater capability, flexibility, and lower costs, further accelerating a rapidly growing home control market."
