The number of connected Internet of Things (IoT) devices is expected to grow to 38.5 billion by 2020. Driving that growth are companies looking to add connectivity to products not historically viewed as high-tech, such as a Wi-Fi® enabled vacuum, crockpot, sprinkler system or coffee maker. What distinguishes many of these companies is that their core competencies lie in areas other than connectivity, whether it is brewing great coffee or making sure food is slow cooked to perfection. Companies need a way to add the connectivity demanded by consumers and provide assurances their products will work well with other products in the connected home, without the need to become experts in Wi-Fi.
To address the needs of these companies and provide the certified interoperability and security protections expected of Wi-Fi products, Wi-Fi Alliance® is introducing the Implementer membership option. Implementer membership will allow companies to focus on aspects of product development more closely related to their lines of business. Implementer companies can spend their time creating the most spacious, energy-efficient, economical refrigerator on the market, rather than spending time developing and testing a Wi-Fi implementation. They can deliver connectivity with the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ seal of approval and government-grade WPA2™ security. This will ensure that the wide variety of products being developed for the connected home will securely operate with the billions of Wi-Fi products already in use, and certification will ensure users get the most value from their smart home products. Implementer membership will help to bring standards-based, interoperable technology to the smart home and IoT – a critical piece to enabling the full potential of these markets.
Implementer membership and the future of IoT
As consumers build their smart homes and incorporate IoT products into their daily lives, it’s critical these devices have the highest level of security to protect valuable and personal information that devices may exchange between each other. Multi-vendor interoperability, compatibility with devices already in the home, and secure operation are core features of the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED program. By making Wi-Fi CERTIFIED accessible to even more companies, Implementer membership will extend the terrific Wi-Fi user experience of the last 15 years into new device categories and market segments, including smart home and IoT.
Wi-Fi Alliance is working on a variety of other initiatives to support growth in the IoT category. For example, one Wi-Fi innovation on the horizon will address use cases requiring lower power consumption including wearables, sensor networks, and industrial automation. Wi-Fi Alliance is also developing a new secure and simple way to connect and configure devices that do not have a display or input mechanisms, as is the case with many smart home devices today. You can keep up to date on our current work areas, or follow @WiFiAlliance on social media using the hashtag #WiFiIoT to stay up to date on Wi-Fi IoT initiatives.
More information about Wi-Fi Alliance membership is available here.
The statements and opinions by each Wi-Fi Alliance member and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions or views of Wi-Fi Alliance or any other member. Wi-Fi Alliance is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information provided by any member in posting to or commenting on this blog. Concerns should be directed to info@wi-fi.org.
Add new comment